FEMALE. breadth two feet three inches: cere and orbits yellow: irides hazel: upper mandible furnished with a procefs: above each eye a white line: the crown of the head and back are of a deep bluish black: the hind part of the head is marked with two pale yellow fpots; each cheek with a large black one pointing downwards the coverts of the wings are of the fame color with the back, but slightly edged with ruft color: the interior webs of the fecondary and quil feathers, are varied with oval tranfverfe reddish spots: the breast white, marked with oblong spots of black: thighs and vent feathers, pale orange: the two middle feathers of the tail are entirely of a deep dove color: the others are barred on their interior fides with ruft color, and tipt with a dirty white. The spots on the breaft of the female are of a higher color than those of the male : it is greatly fuperior in fize, its legs have a tinge of green, in other refpects it resembles the former. 62. SPARROW L'Efpervier. Belon av. 121. HAWK. Gefner av. 51. Sparhauc Turneri. av. i. 183. Wil. orn. 86. Raii fyn. av. 18. Sperber Frifch. I. 90. 91. Kram. 332. Accipiter fringillarius, fparviero. Aldr. Sparfhoek. Faun. Suec. p 69. Spurre-hoeg. Brunnich p. 5. Scopoli. No. 6. L'Epervier, accipiter. Briffon av. I. Br. Zool. 69 plate A. 10. A. 11. Pl. HE difference between the fize of the male and female fpar TH row hawks, is more difproportionate than in most other birds of prey; the former fometimes fcarce weighing five ounces, Descrip. the latter nine ounces. The length of the male is about twelve inch es, es, the breadth twenty-three: the female is fifteen inches long; in breadth twenty-fix. These birds, as well as the hawk kind in general, vary greatly in their colors; in some, the back, head, coverts of the wings and tail, are of a deep bluish grey; in others of a deep brown, edged with a rufty red: the quil feathers are dusky, barred with black on their exterior webs, and spotted with white on the lower part of their inner webs: the tail is of a deep afh color marked with fine broad black bars, the tip white: the breast and belly are of a whitish yellow, adorned with transverse waved bars; in fome of a deep brown color, in others orange: the cere, irides, and legs yellow. The colors of the female differ from thofe of the male: the head is of a deep brown; the back, and coverts of the wings, are dufky mixed with dove color; the coverts of the tail of a brighter dove color; the waved lines that cross the breast, are more numerous than those on that of the male; and the breast itself of a purer white. This is the most pernicious hawk we have; and makes great MANNERS. havoke among pigeons, as well as partridges. It builds in hollow trees, in old nefts of crows, large ruins, and high rocks: lays four white eggs, encircled near the blunter end with red specks. Mr. Willughby places this among the fhort-winged hawks; or fuch whofe wings, when clofed, fall fhort of the end of the tail. DESCRIP. Merlina. Turneri. L'Emerillon. Briffon av. I. 382. Smerlio, o Smeriglio. Lorenzi av. tab. 18. 19. Smerlus, Smerillus. Aldr. av. I. 187. Br. Zool. 70. plate A. 12. Pl. Ent. Wil. orn. 85. Raii fyn. av. 15. THE 468. Hift. D'Oys. 1. 288. HE Merlin weighs near five ounces and a half: its length is twelve inches, its breath twenty five. The bill is of a bluish lead color: the cere of a lemon color: the irides very dark, almost black the head is ferruginous, and each feather is marked with a bluish black ftreak along the fhaft: the back and wings are of a a deep bluish ash color, adorned with ferruginous ftreaks and spots, and edged with the fame: the quil feathers are almost black, marked with reddish oval fpots: the under coverts of the wings brown, beautifully marked with round white spots: the tail is five inches long, croffed with alternate bars of dusky and reddish clay color; on fome of the feathers of the fame bird are thirteen, on fome fifteen but in one bird I examined, were no more than eight: the breaft and belly are of a yellowish white, marked with oblong brown fpots pointing downwards: the legs yellow : the wings when MANNERS. clofed reach within an inch and a half of the end of the tail. This and the preceding kind were often trained for hawking: and this fpecies, fmall as it is, was inferior to none in point of spirit: it was used for taking partridges, which it would kill by a single stroke on the neck. The Merlin flies low, and is often seen along roads' Merularius; quia merulas infectatur. Skinner. fides, skimming from one fide of the hedges to the other, in search of prey. It does not breed in England, but migrates here in October, about the time that the Hobby disappears; for the Lark-catchers observe that in September they take no Merlins but abundance of Hobbies: but in the following month, Merlins only. It was known to our British ancestors by the name of Llamyfden, was used in hawking; and its neft was valued at twenty-four pence. They made use of four other species, but have left us only their names; the Hebog or Hawk, whose neft was estimated at a pound; the Gwalch's or Falcon's at one hundred and twenty pence; the Hwyedig's or long winged, at twenty-four pence; and a species called Cammin or crooked bill, at four pence. The Penbebogyd or chief falconer, held the fourth place at the court of the Welch prince: but notwithstanding the hospitality of the times, this officer was allowed only three draughts out of his horn, leaft he should be fuddled and neglect his birds *. II. OWL. Large round HEAD, ftrong hooked BILL, no CERE. Feathers round the face difpofed in a circular form. Outmost TOE capable of being turned back, and doing the office of a hind toe. THE HE eagle owl has been fhot in Scotland and in Yorkshire. It inhabits inacceffible rocks and defert places; and preys on hares and feathered game. Its appearance in cities was deemed an unlucky omen; Rome itself once underwent a luftration, because one of them strayed into the capitol. The antients had them in the utmost abhorrence, and thought them, like the screech owls, the meffengers of death. Pliny ftyles it Bubo funebris & noctis monftrum. Solaque culminibus ferali carmine Bubo Sæpe queri et longas in fletum ducere voces. VIRGIL. Perch'd on the roof the bird of night complains, |