II A WKS. 



305 



count. As an illustration of the lack of imiforiuity among systcinatisls wltli rugai-il 

 to these genera, it may be mentionctl that of two prominent authorities who puljlislicd 

 tlieir views at about the same tiini^ (1874), one refers hut six S])ecies to Astiir, while 

 tlie other ineludes thirty-one. The latter author, liowever, allows but twenty-three 

 species to the genus Acdpiter, while the former admits forty-five. For our present 

 purposes it makes little difference which we follow in this res])ect, though tliere .seems 

 to be little doubt now that only a few species ought to be included among the gos- 

 hawks. The word goshawk is evidently only a corru]>tiiiii of goose-hawk, and though 



>. '\-| ' 





ry. 



Fig. 143. — AitVLT palMmbarixtf, gosUuwk. 



now only applied to birds of the genus Aslur, it seems prob.abie, as Professor Newton 

 remarks, that it was originally given to one of the large true falcons, which might 

 reasonably be supposed to prey on geese, as such game is evidently beyond the capacity 

 of Antur. 



The goshawk of tlie northern United States, Astiir atricapillus, is by many be- 

 lieved to be merely a geographical race of the European goshawk, -1. palwnharitia. 

 If so, it is certainly a larger and handsomer form, and in liabits the two are very simi- 

 lar. The jjdult American bird is one of the haiulsomest of our birds of Jirey, the 

 whole top of the liead being jiurc, deep black, the rest of the upper jjarts j)uro bluish 

 VOL. rv. — 20 



