_Accipiter_ is a genus of some thirty species, which rival Goshawks in spirit and daring; they inhabit nearly the whole world, but hardly extend to Polynesia. The flight is quick and vigorous, with rapid turns; the prey being captured with a dash as the birds skim through the wooded country they frequent; while it is subsequently devoured on the ground, as is customary among Accipitrine forms. The large flat nest of twigs, occasionally lined with roots or leaves, is placed on a tree or rocky ledge; about four to six bluish-white eggs, usually with heavy blotches or spots of red-brown, being laid in the central depression. Very puzzling are the changes of plumage, though by no means confined to this genus; but the longitudinal spots below in the young are said generally to change with age to transverse bars, as is the case in the most typical Falcons.[137] {158}[Illustration: FIG. 40.–Nest of Sparrow-Hawk. _Accipiter nisus._ (From _Poachers_.)] The coloration is well shewn by _Accipiter nisus_, the Sparrow-Hawk, which breeds throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia north of the Himalayas; extending further south in winter, but represented in South Africa by _A. rufiventris_ and _A. ovampensis_ with white-spotted rectrices. It is bluish-grey above, with white mottlings on the nape and rufous cheeks, the white-tipped tail exhibiting from three to five dark bands, and the buffish-white under parts red-brown bars. Other species are blacker or browner, or more rufous below; _A. rubricollis_ and _A. erythrauchen_ of the Moluccas have the nape red; the latter, _A. rhodogaster_ of Celebes, _A. virgatus_ of India and East Asia (including _A. nisoïdes_), _A. hartlaubi_ of the Gaboon, and _A. ventralis_ of Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, have nearly uniform ruddy under parts; _A. erythrocnemis_ of Brazil and Bolivia, and _A. chionogaster_, ranging from Guatemala to Venezuela are almost white beneath; _A. bicolor_ of Central and South America having grey-blue for the white. _A. melanoleucus_ of North-East, West, and South Africa is deep black, with brown bars on the rectrices, and some white on the {159}tail-coverts and breast; _A. pectoralis_ of Brazil is brownish-black above, slightly relieved by white, the tail being greyish with black bands, the collar and chest rufous, the fore-neck and abdomen white, streaked and barred respectively with black. _A. minullus_ inhabits South Africa, _A. madagascariensis_ Madagascar, _A. cirrocephalus_ Australia, Tasmania, and Papuasia, _A. chilensis_ Chili, _A. guttatus_ Paraguay and Bolivia, _A. pileatus_ Brazil, _A. collaris_ New Granada; while the very robust _A. cooperi_ occupies North America southwards to Mexico, and _A. fuscus_ the same country to Panama. In _A. subniger_ (_tinus_), of Central and South America, and some other species, the young are red above. _Erythrotriorchis radiatus_ of East and Central Australia, a rufous bird with dark markings, which lays an egg like that of a