THE SPARROWHAWK. 
This bird is somewhat larger than a com- 
mon pigeon, the male being about twelve inches 
in length, and the female fifteen. It has a 
short hooked blue bill, slender reddish legs, 
and rather a long tail. The colour of the 
eye is a bright orange. The plumage on 
the wings and upper parts of the body is 
brown, spotted with a yellowish dun ; the lower 
parts in some are whitish, in others of a russet 
colour. 
The head is flat at the top, and above each 
eye is a strong and bony projection ; a few 
scattered spots of white form a faint line run- 
ning backward towards the neck : the top of 
the head and all the upper parts of the body 
are of a dusky brown colour ; on the back part 
of the head there is a faint line of white ; 
the greater quill feathers and the tail are 
dusky, with four bars of a darker hue on 
( 53 ) 
