86 THEGOSHAWE. 



AMERICAN GOSHAWK.— (vl«««tr atricapOlut.) 



After the eagles and falcons, come the Hawks, which are 

 Bimilar in appearance, but smaller. They, "ui well as some 

 of the falcons, are famous for having been trained to use in 

 the chase. In the feudal times hawking was the favourite 

 amusement of kings and nobles. We have never heard of 

 its being practised in our aountry, although it is still com- 

 mon in Persia, and sometimes, though rarely, there are 

 hawking parties on the continent of Europe. 



The American Goshawk is twenty-one inches long ; extent 

 of wings thirty-seven inches. Its colour is dark ash, tinged 

 with brown. Our species is related to a European one, 

 which extends over the northern countries of the Old World. 

 It is rare, migrating to the south in winter 



ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTES. 



In Mr. NuttalFs Ornithology we find the following inte- 

 resting particulars concerning this bird : 



On the 26th of October, 1830, I received one of these 

 birds from the proprietor of Fresh Pond Hotel, in the 

 moult, having the stomach crammed with moles and mice, 

 and it was shot in the act of devouring a pigeon. 



The Goshawk was held in considerable esteem for fal- 

 conry, and, according to Bell, was employed for this amuse- 

 ment by the emperor of China, who moved sometimes to 

 these excursions in great state, often bearing a hawk on hii 



