806 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



slate, darkening on the tail ; below, the color is pure white, closely and finely barred 

 crosswise with slate. The chin and tiiroat lack the crossbai-s, but each feather has a 

 dark shaft-stri|)e, while running backward from above and behind the eye is a broad 

 white stripe finely i)encilled with black. The wings and tail are dark, the latter with 

 four or five obscure black bands. The female, which is largest, measures about two 

 feet in length, with a spread of about four feet. Like most of the other membere of 

 this group, the goshawk is extremely active and daring. Strong of wing and stout of 

 heart, it is both bold and cunning, and its attack once determined on is usually suc- 

 cessful. It is a northern liird, ranging southward in winter, yet doubtless often breed- 

 ing within the limits of the United States. Audubon says of its habits, — 



"The flight of the goshawk is extremely rapiil .and jirotracted. lie sweeps along 

 the margins of the fields, through the woods, and liy the edges of jwnds and rivers, 

 with such speed as to en.able him to seize his prey by merely deviating a few yards 

 from his course, assisting himself on such occasions by his long tail, which, like .1 

 rudder, he throws to the right or left, upwards or downwards, to check his progress, 

 or enable him suddenly to alter his couree. At times he passes like a meteor through 

 the underwood, where he secures scjuirrels and hares with e.ase. Shoidd a flock of 

 wild pigeons jiass him when on these predatory excursions he immediately gives chase. 

 Boon overtakes them, and, forcing his way into the very centre of the flock, scatters 

 them in confusion, when you may see him emerging with a bird in his talons, and 

 diving towards the depth of the forest to feed ui)oii his victim. When traveling, he 

 flics high, with a constant beat of the wings, seldom moving in large circles like oilier 

 hawks, and when he does this it is only a few times in a hurried manner, after which 

 he continues his journey. . . . 



"It is a restless bird, a]>parently more vigilant and industrious than many other 

 hawks, and seldom alights unless to devour its prey; nor can I recollect ever having 

 seen one alighted for manj' minutes at a time, without having a bird in its talons. 



"When thus engaged with its J'rey, it stands nearly upright, and in general, when 

 perched, it keeps itself more erect than most species of hawk. It is extremely expert 

 at catching snipes on the wing, .and so well do these birds know their insecurity, that, 

 on his ap]iroach, they i>refer squatting." The goshawk nests in trees, laying three or 

 four bluish-white eggs, rarely faintly blotched and spotted with brown. 



In the liigher ])arts of Ceylon and India, and in many of the East In<1ian Islands, 

 is fomid the smaller Astitr trivirr/alus, with a consjiicuous occipital crest ; but the 

 most singidar member of the genus is the Australian goshawk, Astnr 7WVic-holla>i(lke, 

 sometimes known as the New Holland white-eagle. This is apparently a ])ernianent 

 albino, for the adult jilumage is pure white, the cere, gape, and legs yellow, the bill 

 black, and the iris pink. The young bird is mostly white below and brown above, but 

 nearly all the dark feathers are white at base. 



The genus Acci/u'lcr includes sjiecies of mostly small size and slender form, but 

 otherwise remarkably like the goshawks in structure and habits. In England they are 

 known as s|iarrow-hawks, from the common sj)eeie.s, Accijutcr nisus., which is the 

 sii:urow-hawk of the country. In the I'nited States we generally use the name 

 sparrow-hawk for a true falcon ; the little Fuko ( Tinminculus) sjxirverius, and the 

 two common sjiecies of Accipiter are known, the smaller .as the sharj>shinned hawk 

 {A. fusciis), from the slender tarsi, aiul the larger as Cooper's hawk A. cooj>en', or 

 sometimes as the chicken-hawk. They are common, active, graceful birds, preying 

 almost entirely on birds and small mammals, which they rarely He in wait for and 



