( 107 ) 
The R i n g-t ail’d Hawk. 
T HIS Bird feemed to me to be of the Size of a Common Crow, The Wing 
when clofed is fourteen Inches long ; the Leg from the Foot to the Knee is 
three Inches long. It differs from other Hawks of its Size, in having a fmaller Bill, 
and longer and flenderer Legs, in Proportion, than I have obferved in any of the greater 
Kinds of Hawks. It refembles our Sparrow-Hawk in the Slendernefs of its Legs, and 
fmall Bill, and is fomething like it in Colour, tho’ at leaf! four Times its Magnitude. 
Its Bill is of a dark Horn-Colour, or blackifb, the Noftrils cover’d with a yellow 
Skin, which encompaffes the upper and lower Chaps, and extends from the Angles 
of the Mouth as far back as the Eyes ; this Skin is befet thinly with black ftiff Fea- 
thers ; the Bill is hooked, as in all of this Kind, but hath no Angle on the Edges of 
the upper Chap, as is common, but only a little Bend or Wave; the Head is of a 
dufky or blackifh Colour, having a little White on the Forehead joining to the Bill, 
and a light Mark palling above each Eye ; the Feathers beneath the Bill are alfo light 
colour’d for a little Space ; the Fore-part of the Neck and Hinder-part of the Head are 
of a Clay-colour, intermixed with a dulky Brown ; the upper Part of the Neck, the 
Back and Wings, are of a dark dulky Brown ; the Edges of fome of the Middle 
Quills are Alh- colour; the Infide of the Wing is White, except the Ends of the 
Quills, which are dulky ; the inner Coverts are fprinkled with fmall brown Spots, and 
the inner Webs of the Quills are faintly barred a-crofs with narrow dulky Lines ; the 
Rump and Covert Feathers of the Tail are white *, which Whitenefs joining with the 
white Feathers beneath the Tail, forms a white Ring round the Tail ; the middle 
Feathers of the Tail are dulky, the next on each Side of a blueilh Alh-colour, the 
outermofl White, all tranfverlly marked with feven or eight dulky Lines; the Tail 
beneath is almolt White, the Bars hardly appearing through the Feathers ; the Bread:, 
Belly, Thighs, and Covert Feathers under the Tail are White, intermixed with fome 
Reddifh-brown Spots tranfverlly waved on the Bread and Thighs, in the Form of 
Hearts on the Belly, and in half-moon-like Spots on the lower Belly and the Covert3 
under the Tail ; the Legs and Feet are of a bright Yellow or Gold-colour, the outer. 
Toe joined the middlemod by a Membrane, the Claws are Black. 
Hudfon 9 s-Bay in North America is the native Place of this Bird, from whence it was brought, 
with many others, by Mr. ljham , who has obliged me extremely by furniihing me with more 
than thirty different Species of Birds, of which we have hitherto had little or no Knowledge* 
the far greateft Part of them being Non-defcripts. As I fhall in the Courfe of this Work have 
Occafion frequently to mention the above curious Gentleman’s Name, it will be here neceffary 
to let the Reader know, that Mr. IJkam has been employ’d for many Years in the Service of the 
Hudfon 9 s-Bay Company, and has, for fome Years pad, been Governor under them at different 
Times, of feveral of their Forts and Settlements in the mod Northern habitable Parts of America 
where at his leifure Times, his commendable Curiofity led him to make a Colledtion of all the 
Beads, Birds, and Fifhes of thofe Countries, as well as the Habits, Toys, and Utenfils of the native 
Americans. The Furs of the Beads, and the Skins of the Birds were duffed, and preferved very: 
clean and perfect, and brought to London in the Year 1745. Mr .ljham is now in London r, 
[1749] where he will day for a fhort Time, and has favour’d me with the Pleafure of his 
Converfation. 
Nothing exabbly agreeing with the above defcribM Bird, can be met with in our natural His- 
torians. What comes neared its Defcription, is the Ring-Tail deferibed by Willughby^ P. 72. 
TJk 
