52 
AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 
drawn to one half its natural size, to conform with the rest of 
the figures on the plate. 
The male Sparrow Hawk measures about ten inches in 
length, and twenty-one in extent ; the whole upper parts of 
the head are of a fine slate blue, the shafts of the plumage 
being black, the crown excepted, which is marked with a spot 
of bright rufous ; the slate tapers to a point on each side of 
the neck ; seven black spots surround the head, as in the 
female, on a reddish white ground, which also borders each 
sloping side of the blue ; front, lores, line over and under the 
eye, chin, and throat, white ; femoral and vent-feathers, 
yellowish white ; the rest of the lower parts, of the same tint, 
each feather being streaked down the centre with a long black 
drop ; those on the breast, slender, on the sides, larger ; upper 
part of the back and scapulars, deep reddish bay, marked with 
ten or twelve transverse waves of black ; whole wing-coverts 
and ends of the secondaries, bright slate, spotted with black ; 
primaries, and upper half of the secondaries, black, tipt with 
white, and spotted on their inner vanes with the same; lower part 
of the back, the rump, and tail-coverts, plain bright bay ; tail 
rounded, the two exterior feathers, white, their inner vanes 
beautifully spotted with black; the next, bright bay, with a 
broad band of black near its end, and tipt for half an inch with 
yellowish white ; part of its lower exterior edge, white, spotted 
with black, and its opposite interior edge, touched with white ; 
remarks by Dr Richardson in the Northern Zoology : — “ Frequents most of 
the arctic lands that have been visited, but retires with the Ptarmigan, on 
which it preys, to more sheltered districts in winter ; hunts by day. When 
I have seen it on the barren grounds, it was generally squatting on the earth ; 
and if put up, it alighted again after a short flight, but was always so wary as 
to be approached with difficulty. In woody districts it shews less caution. I 
have seen it pursue the American hare on the wing, making repeated strokes 
at the animal with its feet. In winter, when this Owl is fat, the Indians and 
white residents in the Fur Countries esteem it to be good eating. Its flesh is 
delicately white.” By the Cree Indians it is called Wapow-keethoo, or 
Wapahoo ; by the Esquimaux, Oookpeeguak ; by the Norwegians, Lemensgriis 
and Gysfugl ; by the Swedes, Harfang. — Ed. 
