THE SPARROW-HAWKS. 
T4I 
Astur atricapillus, Newton, ed. Yarn Br. B. i. p. 87, note 
(1871); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. i. p. 97 (1874); See- 
bohm, Brit. B. i. p. 145 (1883); B. O. U. List Brit. B. 
p. 98 (1883) ; Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 322, note (1889). 
Adult Male. — Similar to A. palumharius, and of about the 
same dimensions, but having a black head, and the markings 
on the under surface taking the form of freckles, not bars ; 
cere, feet, and iris yellow; bill bluish-black. Total length, 
20-5 inches; culmen, 1-4; wing, 12-9; tail, 9‘5 ; tarsus, 2-6. 
Adalt Female. — Similar to the male, but larger. Total length, 
24 inches; wing, i4'o ; tarsus, 3’i. 
Young Birds. — Resemble the young of A. palumharius. 
Range in Great Britain. — Has occurred three times ; once in 
Scotland, said to have been shot in Perthshire by a keeper. 
Two have been taken in Ireland : one, according to the late 
Sir Victor Brooke, on the Galtee Mountains in Tipperary, in 
March, 1883, and another near Parson’s Town, in King’s 
County, was recorded shortly after by the late Mr. Basil 
Brooke. 
Range outside the British Islands. — The present species is an 
inhabitant of North America, where it is found in the arctic 
portion of the continent, breeding in the Northern United 
States, and as far south as Colorado. 
Hahits.— Similar to those of the European species. 
Nest. — In trees. 
Eggs.— Two or three ; white, or glaucous-white, sometimes 
very faintly marked with pale brownish. Axis, 2-31 inches; 
diam., 1-70 {Ridgimy). 
THE SPARROW-HAWKS. GENUS ACCIPITER. 
Accipiter, Brisson, Orn. i. p. 310 (1760). 
Type, A. nisus (L.), 
The Sparrow-Hawks are considered by some ornithologists 
to belong to the same genus as the Gos- Hawks, and vice vers A. 
As already mentioned, however, I do not consider these birds 
to be generically the same, for the Sparrow-Hawks throughout 
