FALCON I D.T.. 



THE GOS-HAWK. 



AsTUR PALUxMBARius (Linnceus). 



Adult examples of the Gos-Hawk {i.e. Goose-Hawk) are rarely 

 obtained in the British Islands ; but in autumn and winter, and 

 sometimes in spring, immature birds have occurred, though at long 

 intervals. These visitors are, naturally, most frequent on the east 

 coast ; but instances are on record from the vicinity of London, the 

 southern, the midland, and even the western counties. In Scotland, 

 the celebrated Colonel Thornton received a nestling from the 

 forest of Rothiemurchus, and saw some eyries in the old fir-woods 

 in the valley of the Spey, prior to 1804 ; but there is no later j^roof 

 that it has bred in any part of Great Britain. Against an assertion 

 that it has nested in recent times in Kirkcudbrightshire, must be 

 set the fact that neither Mr. R. Service nor the veteran taxidermist 

 Mr. Hastings have ever met with an example anywhere in the 

 Solway district ; and it must be remembered that in many parts of 



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