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GORCOCK—GOURA 377 
GORCOCK, a Scottish name for the male of the Red GroussE. 
GOS-HAWK, ic. Goose-Hawk, the Astur palumbarius of 
ornithologists, and the largest of the short-winged Hawks used in 
Falconry. Its English name, however, has possibly been trans- 
ferred to this species from one of the long-winged Hawks, or true 
Falcons, since there is no tradi- 
tion of the Gos-Hawk, now so 
called, having ever been used in 
Europe to take Geese or other 
large and powerful birds. The 
genus Astur may be readily dis- 
tinguished from Falco by the 
smooth edges of its beak, its 
short wings (not reaching beyond 
about the middle of the tail), 
and its long legs and _ toes 
though these last are stout and comparatively shorter than in 
the SpARROW-HAWKS, Accipiter. In plumage the Gos-Hawk has 
a general resemblance to the Peregrine FALCON, and it undergoes a 
corresponding change as it advances from youth to maturity—the 
young being longitudinally streaked beneath, while the adults are 
transversely barred. The irides, however, are always yellow, or in 
old birds orange, while those of the Falcons are dark brown. The 
sexes differ greatly in size. There can be little doubt that the 
Gos-Hawk, nowadays very rare in Britain, was once common in 
England, and even towards the end of the last century Thornton 
obtained a nestling in Scotland, while Irish Gos-Hawks were of old 
highly celebrated. Being strictly a woodland-bird, its disappear- 
ance may be safely connected with the disappearance of our ancient 
forests, though its destructiveness to Poultry and Pigeons has 
doubtless contributed to its.present scarcity. In many parts of the 
continent of Europe it still abounds. It ranges eastward to China, 
and is much valued in India. In North America it is represented 
by a very nearly allied species, 4. atricapillus, chiefly distinguished 
by the closer barring of the breast. Three or four examples cor- 
responding with this form have been obtained in Britain. A good 
many other species of Astur (some of them passing into Accipiter) 
are found in various parts of the world, but the only one that need 
here be mentioned is the 4. nove-hollandix of Australia, which is 
remarkable for its dimorphism—one form possessing the normal 
dark-coloured plumage of the genus, and the other being perfectly 
white, with yellow or red irides. It must be stated, however, that 
some writers hold these two forms taybe distinct species, and call the 
dark-coloured one 4. cinereus or A. rait. 
Gos-Hawk. (After Swainson.) 
GOURA, the name (apparently of Eastern origin) applied in 
