GOSS HAWK. 239 



unable to describe, not having had opportunities of ob- 

 serving them. 



Remarks. — I have compared British and French 

 with American specimens, both in the adult and young 

 states, and am perfectly persuaded that no real differ- 

 ence exists between them. Were we to found spe- 

 cific distinctions upon such trifling discrepancies as are 

 exhibited by the Goss Hawk of America and that of 

 Europe, we might find that our common ptarmigan, our 

 bultinch, wheatear, and kestrel, are each of two or three 

 species. Cuvier, in my opinion very strangely, refers t<» 

 the Falco atricapillus of Wilson, which is the Ameri- 

 can Goss Hawk, as a species of Hierofalco, that is, as 

 intimately allied to the Jer Falcon. The only name 

 by which this species is known in Britain, is that pre- 

 fixed to this article, but variously written, Goshawk, 

 Gos-hawk, or Goss Hawk, and apparently a corruption 

 of Goose Hawk. 



Falco Palumbarius. Linn. Si/si. Nat. vol. i. p. 130. 



JFalco Palumbarius. Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 2i). The old 



bird. 

 Falco gentilis. Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 29. Young. 

 Goshawk. Montagu.^ Ornith. Diet. 



L'Autour. Falco Palumbarius. Temm. Man. d'Omith. p. 55. 

 Gos-hawk. Astur Palumbarius. Selby^ Illustr. vol. i. p. 29. 

 Buteo Palumbarius. Goshawk. Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 54. 



