34 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



himself if he intends to escape the first quick dash of this 

 impetuous and greedy pursuer. 



In India and other tropical countries the female "goss" will 

 fly, with a good start, at crows, neophrons, minas, florikin, 

 francolin, jungle-fowl, and even such big birds as kites, geese, 

 cranes, and pea-fowl. Even in England she was formerly flown 

 with success at cranes, wild geese, and other large water-fowl ; 

 and the old books contain elaborate directions as to stalking 

 these birds " with grey goshawk on hand." In some parts of Asia 

 goshawks are said to have been flown at ravine deer and 

 bustard ; but this would probably be with some assistance from 

 dogs. 



The male goshawk, much smaller in size than his sisters, is 

 less valuable to the sportsman, but is usually accounted rather 

 swifter on the wing. The best specimens will catch a partridge 

 in fair flight ; and most of them, with a tolerably good start, 

 will overtake a pheasant. A very strong male will sometimes 

 catch and hold a full-grown rabbit, and the others may be 

 expected to kill half-grown rabbits and leverets, if kept to such 

 quarry. Landrails and water-hens make a more or less easy 

 flight. Jays and magpies may sometimes be taken, as well as 

 blackbirds. Rats, weasels, squirrels, and "such small deer" are, 

 of course, available. Occasional specimens of the male goshawk 

 are extraordinarily fast and strong. Colonel Delme Radcliffe 

 had one which actually killed grouse in Scotland, and another 

 which took storks and geese in India, as well as partridges. 



Sparrow- Hawk {Accipitei' nisns) 



Female — Length, 14 to 16 inches; wing, 8i to 9I ; tail, 7A 

 to 7f ; tarsus, 2.4. Male — Length, i\\ to \2\ inches; wing, 

 7^ to 8;^ ; tail, 6 to 6^ ; tarsus, 2.1. 



The sparrow-hawk is remarkable for its very long and 

 slender legs and middle toe, and its small head. Young females 

 have the beak and upper plumage sepia brown, each feather 

 edged with rufous brown ; the nape varied with white or rufous 

 white. The wing feathers are dark brown, with five bars of still 

 darker brown on the outer primaries. The tail rather lighter 

 brown, with five dark brown bars. The under plumage is dull 

 white, more or less tinged with rufous, spotted with irregular 

 patches, streaks, or bars of greyish brown. In the adult the 

 brown of the upper plumage assumes a slatey grey hue, and the 

 edgings of lighter colour vanish. The breast and under parts 

 are barred with transverse markings of mixed fulvous and 



