In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 109 
Yarrell that the capture of five examples in Suffolk, and of eleven 
in Norfolk, have been recorded, occurring mostly within the last few 
years. I can once again claim this now rare bird as having of late 
years visited our more immediate neighbourhood ; though I feel (as 
in the case of the “ Lanner Falcon”) that some persons may be 
prepared to be almost incredulous on the point. I can however but 
relate my experience, and let the circumstances speak for themselves. 
Some few years ago a Captain Dugmore visited the city of Salisbury. 
He was very enthusiastic on the subject of hawking, and had with 
him at the time of his visit three Peregrine Falcons, two Goshawks, 
a Merlin, anda Hobby. I was out with him one day hawking in 
our water-meadows, when he mentioned the following incident : 
he was using the female Goshawk at the time, and he told me how 
quickly he could discern the presence of any other hawk in the air, 
from the manner and cry of the tame bird while on his wrist, and 
he then said, “ Yesterday, the Goshawk on my wrist became un- 
usually excited, and on looking up I saw a wild Goshawk flying in 
a straight course over my head.” He said he had no doubt as to 
the identity of the bird, as he knew it so well from so constantly 
_ hawking with the same species. Why this should not indeed have 
been a veritable “Gos,” it is for others to declare, the burden of 
_ disproof lying evidently, I think, with them. And here I cannot 
: help mentioning a flight which I witnessed in the water-meadows 
with this same bird. It was thrown off after a Coot, which flew 
‘rather high in the air, keeping straight up the course of the river. 
The Hawk struck the Coot, and binding together they fell into the deep 
‘water. The Coot now did all in its power to dive, and so far succeeded 
as to immerse the Gos-hawk up to its neck in the water. On my 
e pressing a fear that the Hawk would be drowned, my friend re- 
| plied that a Goshawk knew well how to take care of itself in the 
Ww ater, whereas, had it been aPeregrine it might have very likely shared 
a different fate. After this the two birds floated down the stream 
in this way for a hundred yards or more, when a convenient opening 
in the weeds appearing, the Goshawk gave itself a wrench, and got 
