GORCOCK—GO URA 



377 



GORCOCK, a Scottish name for the male of the Eed Grouse. 



GOS-HAWK, i.e. 



ornithologists, 



Falconry. Its 



and the largest 



English 



Goose-Hawk, 

 of the 

 however 



the Astur 



of 



name, 



palumharius 

 used 

 has possibly been trans 



short-winged Hawks 



m 



Gos-Hawk. (After Swainson.) 



comparatively shorter than 



ferred to this species from one of the long-winged Hawks, or true 

 Falcons, since there is no tradi- 

 tion of the Gos-Hawk, now so 

 called, having ever been used in 

 Europe to take Geese or other 

 large and powerful birds. The 

 genus Adur may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from Falco by the 

 smooth edges of its beak, its 

 short wings (not reaching beyond 

 about the middle of the tail), 

 and its long legs and toes — • 



though these last are stout and comparatively snorter tnan m 

 the Sparrow-Hawks, Accipiter. In plumage the Gos-Hawk has 

 a general resemblance to the Peregi'ine Falcon, and it undergoes a 

 corresponding change as it advances from youth to maturity — the 

 young being longitudinally streaked beneath, while the adults are 

 transversely barred. The irides, however, are always yellow, or in 

 old birds orange, Avhile those of the Falcons are dark broAvn. The 

 sexes differ greatly in size. There can be little doubt that the 

 Gos-Hawk, nowadays very rare in Britain, was once common in 

 England, and even towards the end of the last century Thornton 

 obtained a nestling in Scotland, while Irish Gos-Hawks were of old 

 highly celebrated. Being strictly a woodland-bird, its disappear- 

 ance may be safely connected with the disappearance of our ancient 

 forests, though its destructiveness to Poultry and Pigeons has 

 doubtless contributed to its present scarcity. In many parts of the 

 continent of Europe it still abounds. It ranges eastward to China, 

 and is much valued in India. In North America it is represented 

 hy a very nearly allied species, A. atricapillus, chiefly distinguished 

 by the closer barring of the breast. Three or four examples cor- 

 responding with this form have been obtained in Britain. A good 

 many other species of Astur (some of them passing into Accipiter) 

 are found in various parts of the world, but the only one that need 

 here be mentioned is the A. novx-liollandiM of Australia, which is 

 remarkable for its dimorphism — one form possessing the normal 

 dark-coloured plumage of the genus, and the other being perfectly 

 white, with yellow or red irides. It must be stated, however, that 

 some writers hold these two forms to be distinct species, and call the 

 dark-coloured one A. cinereus or A. rail. 



GOURA, the name (apparently of Eastern origin) applied in 



