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SPE"CIES 9. FdLCO PENNSYL VdNIC U8
             SLATE-COLO) URED HAWK. *
                   [Plate XLVI.-Fig 1.]
  THIS elegant and spirited little Hawk is a native of Pennsyl-
vania, and of the Atlantic states generally; and is now for the
first time introduced to the notice of the public. It frequents
the more settled parts of the country, chiefly in winter; is at
all times a scarce species; flies wide, very irregular, and swiftly;
preys on lizards, mice and small birds, and is an active and da-
ring little hunter. It is drawn of full size, from a very beauti-
ful specimen shot in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia. The
bird within his grasp is the Tanagra rubra, or Black-winged
Red-bird, in its green or first year's dress. In the spring of the
succeeding year the green and yellow plumage of this bird be-
comes of a most splendid scarlet, and the wings and tail deepen
into a glossy black.
  The great difficulty of accurately discriminating between dif-
ferent species of the Hawk tribe, on account of the various ap-
pearances they assume at different periods of their long lives,
at first excited a suspicion that this might be one of those with
which I was already acquainted, in a different dress, namely,
the Sharp-shinned Hawk, figured in plate XLV of this work;
for such are the changes of colour to which many individuals
  I By comparing this bird with the Sharp-shinned Hawk, it will be obvious
that Wilson had good reason for his first opinion, that they are identical;
al-
though he subsequently came to a contrary conclusion. It is probable that
they will be found to be the same, and that this is the adult, and the Sharp-
shinned Hawk the young bird. If this be the case, the name velox, which was
first given to this species by Wilson, must be retained; unless indeed it
should
prove to be identical with the P. fuscus of authors, as asserted by Prince
Musig-
nano; in which event this latter name must of course, having the priority,
be
adopted.