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.)
Bonap. Am. Orn. pl. 1, fig. 1, young. Aud. B. of Am. pl. 36, 141, fig.
3; Oct. ed. I. pl. 24, adult and young.
Larger than the preceding; slender; wings short; tail rounded. Adult,
head above brownish black, mixed with white on the occiput; other
upper parts dark ashy brown, with the shafts of the feathers brownish
black; an obscure rufous collar on the neck behind. Throat and under
tail-coverts white, the former with lines of dark brown; other under
parts transversely barred with light rufous and white; tail, dark
cinereous, with four wide bands of brownish black, and tipped with
white; quills ashy brown, with darker bands, and white marks on their
inner webs. Young. Head and neck behind yellowish white tinged with
rufous, and with longitudinal oblong stripes of brown; other upper
parts light umber brown, with large partially concealed spots and bars
of white; upper tail-coverts tipped with white; under parts white,
with narrow longitudinal stripes of light brown; tail as in adult.
Dimensions. Female, total length 18 to 20 inches, wing 10 to 11, tail
8½; male, 16 to 17, wing 9½ to 10, tail 8 inches.