cachinnans, Lin. &c. .Viacagua of Azara. Laugh ing Falcon. Cere and legs yellow ; eye-lids white; body variegated with brown and whitish ; top of the head black, surrounded by a white ring. Native of Paraguay, Cay enne, and other regions of South America, haunting flood ed savannahs and marshy grounds, and perching on dried and elevated branches of trees, whence it is conjectured to feed on fish, frogs, lizards, and other reptiles. It is of gentle dispositions, and rather a stupid bird, occasionally uttering a sound, which is expressed by its vernacular appellation, and, when disturbed, emitting a shrill and sudden cry, as if laughing.
Sparrow-hawks, Denote such of the present tribe as have long and sled der tarsi.
F. Xisue, Lin. &c. Sparrow-hawk. Bluish cinereous above; a white spot on the nape, white beneath ; with brown undulations; tail ash-grey, with five bars of black ish cinereous. The colouring, however, is very liable to vary, and specimens entirely milk-white have been some times observed.
This species is well known for its depredations among poultry, and is numbered by falconers among the short winged hawks, or such in which the wings, when closed, fall short of the end of the tail. The length of the male is usually about twelve inches, its extent of wing twenty three inches, and its weight scarcely five ounces, where as the female measures about fifteen inches in length, and weighs about nine ounces. She builds in lofty trees, old ruins, or high rocks, frequently occupying the old nest of a crow, and laying from four to six eggs, of a dirty white, and sometimes of a bluish tinge, blotched at the large, and sometimes, though rarely, at the narrow end, with rust colour. Though it flies low, it is very fierce and predacious. It more or less abounds in almost every quarter of the world, being found as high as Sondmor, and in the Faroe Isles, though not, as alleged, in Si beria, and again, as far south as Africa. In this country, it is common in most of the wooded or inclosed parts of the kingdom, but is of less frequent occurrence in the more champaign districts. In some parts of Europe it seems to be a partial migrant ; for Belot:, long ago, wit nessed their passage, as Sonnini more recently did, when at sea, between Italy and Barbary. On the approach of winter, legions of them move southward, to the dismay of the smaller and weaker migratory bands, on which they prey with cruel assiduity, and from which circumstance the mariners in the Mediterranean term them corsairs. In Egypt, they are stationary throughout the year, and many of them are habituated to a town life, usually taking up their abode along with kites and vultures, on the ter races of the houses, and sparing, as if by implied contract, the turtle-doves. Indeed, we should remark, that, not withstanding its bold and ravenous propensities, the spar row-hawk is more easily tamed than most birds of prey, and not unsusceptible of attachment. The young bird, it is alleged, may be used as food.
minullas, Lath. &c. Dwarf Sparrow-hawk. Brown above, white beneath, breast marked with descending brown streaks, and the abdomen with descending brown bars. Although this small species does not exceed the size of the blackbird, it is by no means deficient in cou rage or assiduity ; for it drives the butcher-bird from its neighbourhood, and fears not to attack the kite and the buzzard; but crows are the most marked object of its per secution; for it chases them with eager impetuosity, ut tering a cry which has been compared to that of the kes tril. The smaller birds are its ordinary food; but when a sufficiency of these cannot be procured, it has recourse to some of the larger sorts of insects, particularly of the man tis and locust tribes. The female, which is nearly twice the size of the male, but with plumage of duller tints, forms its nest in rather a coarse style, of small twigs, in termixed with leaves and moss, and lined with leaves, moss, or wool : in this she lays four or five eggs. As Le vaillant was sitting at a table, engaged in preparing some birds lately killed, one of these hawks suddenly stooped, and, seizing one of the recently stuffed specimens, and Eying with it to a neighbouring tree, began to plume and tear it open, but finding nothing but moss and cotton, seemed indignant at the disappointment, and at length contented itself with devouring the head, the only part which remained in its natural state.
F. musicus, Daud. and Lath. Chaunting Sparrow hawk. Grey above, with brown undulations beneath, black wing feathers, and brown wedge-shaped tad, barred with white. An elegant species, of the size of the com mon falcon, observed by Levaillant in the interior of Africa, where it builds in woods, laying four white and nearly round eggs. The female is a third larger than the male, and both commit great havock among the smaller kind of game, as quails, partridges, &c. They even at tack hares, and will, like the buzzard, feed on moles, rats, field-mice, &c. In the breeding season, the note of the male is much more musical than that of any bird of prey, and is heard at the dawn of day, or in the dusk of the even ing, and, not unfrequently, during the greater part of the night. It sings out in a loud tone for more than a mi nute, and, after an interval, begins anew. During its song, it is so regardless of its own safety, that a person may ap proach very near to it ; but at other times it is extremely suspicious, and takes flight on the most trifling cause of alarm. Should the male be killed, the female may also be shot without difficulty ; for her attachment to him is such, that she continues flying round with the most plaintive voice, and often passes within a few yards of the fowler. If, however, the female should happen to be shot first, the male retires to the top of some distant tree, and, without ceasing his song, becomes uncommonly shy and wary.