American Bird- Visitors to Ireland. 61 



vain the protection of man ; of game just shot, carried off 

 before the eyes of the sportsman ; of newly-killed fowl carried 

 away almost from out the hands of the poulterer. Bendire 

 gives a case where he gave a Goshawk, that made a dash at 

 some chickens, a dose of light shot ; the wounded bird made 

 off, but he had hardly slipped a new cartridge into his gun 

 before it was back again after the chickens, but only to get a 

 load of heavier shot that ended its career. 



The Goshawk has strongly developed that characteristic 

 human trait of killing just for the fun of the thing. One has 

 been known to kill and tear to pieces five Ruffed Grouse in a 

 single forenoon. Audubon records seeing one attack a flock 

 of Grackles that were crossing a river, and strike five down 

 before they could gain the shelter of the woods ; the hawk 

 then turned, and picking the disabled birds one by one from 

 the water, carried them to a chosen spot on shore. 



The contents of this bird's crop and stomach usually bear 

 testimony to its destructiveness. By " destructiveness " we 

 mean that it kills and eats some of those species that man 

 considers of economic importance to himself — or in other 

 words, Accipiter atricapillus comes into direct competition with 

 Homo sapiens in the struggle for existence. The stomach is 

 mostly well filled with remains of Grouse, Ptarmigan, fowl, 

 Rabbits, or Squirrels. More rarely " vermin" are found, such 

 as Mice, locusts, or beetles, while one occasion is noted when 

 the bird had made a meal of a Weasel. 



This hawk places its nest in a tree, usually at from 20 to 50 

 feet from the ground ; it seems indifferent as to the species of 

 tree selected. The nest is a rather rough and bulky affair, 

 built chiefly of sticks. The eggs are from two to five in 

 number, bluish white and unspotted, though sometimes slight 

 brownish stains are noticeable. If the nest is approached, the 

 bird will often defend it with great courage. 



The Goshawk is readily distinguished from any other bird. 

 Though such a good flyer, its wings are very short, at least for 

 a hawk. Its size and proportions are unmistakable ; a female 

 will measure: — length, 24 inches ; wing, 14 inches; tail, 12 

 inches ; as usual among hawks the male is somewhat smaller. 

 It is not so easy, however, to distinguish the American from 

 the European Goshawk, and I should want to carefully com- 

 pare a specimen with other skins before deciding to which 



