24 
Birds of Celebes: Falconidae. 
in length between the 3’^^, 4*’", 5*’* and 6*’" primaries; in the blunt, weak ends 
of these feathers, significant of quiet flight; in the rounded tail; in the relatively 
much shorter toes, especially the middle one; whereas T. rhodogaster, which 
cannot be separated from Accipiter (as likewise the other members of Teraspiza)^ 
has the point of the wing and the tips of the individual feathers sharpened, 
hard and strong; the G*** 'about 12 mm) and succeeding primaries much short- 
ened; the tail square; the toes — especially the middle one — lengthened. 
Doubtless the two birds differ much in habits. 
From Urospizias hiogaster and griseigularis which were included in the same 
genus by Kaup, but removed by Gurney, S. trinotatus differs chiefly in its 
short, rounded and weak wings, its less massive beak, and in its curiously 
marked and weak tail-feathers. Spilospizius stands as a genus on a somewhat 
better footing than Tachgspizias , Urospizias, Scelospizias and others into which 
the great genus Accipiter with its eighty or ninety species has been split up. 
Whether it be advisable to recognize these small divisions at all is very doubt- 
ful, but if once the subdivision of Accipiter into Accipiter and Astur is made, 
the other subdivisions appear necessary. The student of general ornithology 
would do well, and be sufficiently within the bounds of accuracy in speaking 
of this great body of Hawks broadly under the generic name Accipiter. Although 
Spilospizias is an interesting Celebesian form, it cannot be looked upon as of 
equal importance with Meropogon, Basileornis, Scissirostrum, etc. 
On the island of Talissi just off the Northeastern extremity of the Mina- 
hassa Dr. Hickson speaks of this Hawk as “a bird often seen on the orange 
trees and the higher branches of the trees in the mangrove swamps”. Nothing 
is known with certainty about its breeding habits, but it is probable that it 
makes its nest in mountain districts, where the young birds remain until they 
have assumed the adult plumage. From December to March 1870-71 youno- 
birds were not met with by Meyer in the plains near Manado, and the natives 
asserted that they did not occur there; on the other hand, in June one or more 
young specimens were shot at a height of 2000 ft. near Kakas on Lake Ton- 
dano (e 2). The Dresden Museum has, however, since received 3 youno- 
examples from the neighbourhood of Manado. 
GENUS ACCIPITER Briss. 
The Sparrow-hawks are of small size, distinguishable from Astur, etc. by 
their long slender toes, the middle one being especially prolonged, 
overreaching the others by the entire length of the claw or more- 
tarsus slender, rather long, the upper fourth feathered anteriorly; tomia festooned; 
wing rather short, secondaries reaching- about three-fourths the length of the 
wing. Preys chiefly upon birds. Lggs 3 — 6. About 23 species, migratory and 
stationary, of almost cosmopolitan distribution. 
