26 



have been observed to have the habit of hiding their food 

 when supplied with more than they can consume at the 

 time. I have often noticed, too, in the case of tame 

 Kestrils, that the Chaffinches and other small birds which 

 frequent gardens show no instinctive dread of them, as if 

 they were their natural enemies, but perch on the same 

 tree with them, fearless and unnoticed. 



The Kestril was formerly trained to hunt small birds, 

 and in the court of Louis XIII. was taught to hawk for 

 Bats. 



THE GOSHAWK 



ASTUR PALUMBARIUS. 



Upper plumage deep bluish grey ; head and back darker ; a light band passing 

 over the eye ; lower plumage white, transversely barred and streaked with 

 dark brown ; tail barred with dark brown, the tip white ; beak bluish black ; 

 cere, irides, and feet yellow ; claws black. Female upper plumage tinged with 

 brown. Length of male from eighteen to twenty inches ; female from twenty- 

 two to twenty-six inches. Eggs white, streaked and spotted with reddish 

 brown. 



IN the days of Falconry, the Goshawk, which is not a 

 noble Falcon, was employed more for profit than amuse- 

 ment, and a branch of the science was on the Continent 

 called after it " Autourserie," from its name Autour or 

 "starred bird," descriptive of the numerous brown and 

 reddish spots with which its plumage is spangled. It 

 neither hovers like the Kestril, nor soars like the Peregrine 

 Falcon, but watches patiently on the branch of a tree till 

 its prey comes into sight, or skims along the ground with 

 rapid flight; and being of large size, is a formidable 

 enemy to hares, rabbits, and partridges. It is very docile, 

 and, it is said, can be reclaimed in the short space of a 

 week. When trained, it does not refuse to attack the 

 Heron ; but being far inferior to the Falcons in skill and 

 daring, it was rarely flown except at such game as was fit 

 for the table ; hence were applied to it as terms of reproach 



