Obs. Resembles to some extent the Goshawk of Europe, (Astur palumbarius,) with which it has been confounded by some American authors. It is about the same size, but may easily be distinguished by its lighter color, and by its much narrower and more numerous bands on the inferior parts of the body. It is in all respects a distinct species, as described by Wilson and by Temminck.
The young male of this bird may readily be mistaken for the young female of the succeeding species, (Accipiter Cooperi,) but can be distinguished by the different color and markings of the under parts of the body. In some specimens of this species, the transverse bands on the under parts are so irregular or broken, as to present a nearly uniformly mottled aspect. This stage of plumage is represented in Audubon’s plate, but is not the most common.
II. GENUS ACCIPITER. Brisson, Orn. I. 310. (1760.)
NISUS. Cuvier, Regne An. I. p. 321, (1817.) hieraspiza. Kaup Class. p. 116, (1844.)
General characters very similar to those of Astur, but the species are generally more slender and much smaller. Wings short, with the fourth quill usually slightly longest, shorter than in Astur; tail long; tarsi rather long and slender, and frequently with the scales of the tarsi nearly obsolete. Contains about twenty species of all countries, many of which bear more or less resemblance to the Accipiter nisus of Europe.
1. Accipiter fuscus. (Gmelin.) The Sharp-shinned Hawk. The Chicken Hawk. Falco fuscus, and dubius. Gm., Syst. Nat. I. p. 280, 281. (1788.) Accipiter striatus. Vieill, Ois. Am. Sept. I. p. 42, (1807.) Falco velox, and Pennsylvanicus. Wilson Am. Orn. V. p. 116, and VI. p. 13, (1812.) Sparvius lineatus. Vieill. Ency. Meth. III. p. 1266. (1823.) Nisus Malfini. Less. Traité I. p. 58. (1831.) Accipiter fringilloides. Vig. Zool. Jour. III. p. 434.? (1827.)
Temm. Pl. col. 67. Vieill, Ois. d’Am. Sept. pl. 14. Wilson, Am. Orn. V. pl. 45, fig. 1, VI. pl. 46, fig. 1. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 374, Oct. ed. I. pl. 25.
Small, tail rather long, with the end nearly even; tarsi and toes slender. Adult, entire upper parts dark brownish black tinged with ashy, occiput mixed with white. Throat, and under tail-coverts, white, the former with very fine lines of black on the shafts of the feathers; other under parts, fine light rufous, deepest on the tibia, and with transverse bands of white; shafts of the feathers with lines of dark brown. Tail, ashy brown, tipped with white, and with about four bands of brownish black. Quills, brownish black, with bands of a darker shade, and of white on their inner webs; secondaries and tertiaries, with large partially concealed white spots. Shafts of quills tinged with reddish. Young. Entire upper parts umber brown, tinged with ashy; neck behind mixed with white; greater wing-coverts and shorter quills, with large white spots partially concealed. Under parts white, with longitudinal stripes and circular spots of reddish brown, changing into transverse bands on the flanks and tibiæ; under tail-coverts, in many specimens, pure white.
Dimensions. Total length, female, 12 to 14 inches, wing 7½; to 8, tail 6½ to 7 inches; male, total length 10 to 11, wing 6 to 6½, tail 5 to 5½ inches.
Hab. Throughout North America. Hudson’s Bay, (Richardson,) Wisconsin, (Hoy,) Texas, (Audubon,) California, (Heermann,) New Mexico, (M‘Call,) Mexico, (Pease.) Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.
Obs. This little Hawk is one of the most common of the North American species. It is very similar, when adult, to the Accipiter nisus of Europe, but the young differ, as is the case with nearly all our Hawks which resemble birds of the old world. We have never seen a specimen of A. fuscus with the transverse bands on the under parts regular and unbroken, as is commonly met with in the young female of A. nisus.
Though we regard the law of priority as of great importance, we have in the case of this species continued Gmelin’s specific name fuscus, (1788,) though it had been previously used by Fabricius, (1780; see Hierofalco sacer in this synopsis.) We know of no practical benefit, however, that would now result from the alteration of this long established name, especially as the fuscus of Fabricius is a synonyme itself. Any naturalist, however, being so moved, may call this bird Accipiter dubius, if he chooses, and shall not be molested by us.
2. Accipiter Cooperii. (Bonaparte) Cooper’s Hawk. Falco Cooperii. Bonap. Am. Orn. II. p. 1. (1828.) Falco Stanleii. Aud. Orn. Biog. I. p. 186. (1831.)