HAWK. Tll 



stag their prey, they do not fly so high, or get | where there is no scope either for the stoop of an 



thrueeh the sir with the same splendid action as the | eagle or the rash of a falcon. Generally speaking, 

 long-winged falcons. They are. however, stronger . they buiid more in trees than birds of the two genera 

 birds in proportion to their lineal dimrmiom ; and , which have been mentioned, and between which they 

 they are, in some respects, intermediate between the are in many respects intermediate. Their bills are 

 falcons and the eagles. The falcons always strike not so decidedly notched as those of the falcons ; 

 tneir prey in the air ; the eagles almost as. invar 



dp k on the groaad ; and tbe~bawks do gomctimr* the ; length, more carved, and therefore unite a ^*4iiffg 

 one and sometimes the other, affording to circatn- { or carrying character along with the killing one. 

 stances. Some of them fly at a considerable deva- j They aidant of subdivision into two sections, which 

 rion. and bent the gronnd to cnnJoVrabk distanrf* ; may front the British species, which are the typical 

 bnt they reowire a great deal of action and motion of ones of the two, be styled Gos-hawks and Sparrow- 

 the wings, and have sneh more - twittering" in their hawks ; and considering the difference between hawks 

 style of cu-ot than the falcon*, or even the eagles. , asd falcons as we have pointed them oat, the eos- 

 ln this respect they are perhap* the least graceful of hawks may be considered as resembfing the ger-auv 

 afl the di nrnal birds of prey ; for although they are j cons, and the sparrow-hawks the common falcon*. 

 more bold and powerful than either the bnzzaru- Thegos-hawks are by mnrh the stronger birds of 



the kites, they have not the soft wins: of the former, the two ; bnt they are k the same time heavier, and 

 or the light floating and ffiding motion of the latter, perhaps not so courageous in proportion to their 

 They are woodland birds, or. at all events, birds of - strength as some of the sparrow-hawks. Tber have 

 the rich and lowland districts, rather than of the np- the tarsi short and thick, and covered with shielded 

 land wilds; and the form of their wings, and indeed 1 scales, and are most abundant hi the wooded parts of 

 u.e whole of their powers and organisation accord hills. The sparrow-hawks have the tarsi longer and 

 wkh this. more slender, and inhabit more the lowland countries. 



r characters are : the tarsi lengthened, so as 

 to be longer than the middle front toe. The wings 

 short and rownded, and thns better adapted for fre- 

 oaent ascent and descent than for loog-continwed 



forward fight. The first quill of the wing is macii hawking was a royal and noble sport, k was 

 sorter than the second, and the third is very nearly sed for low gimr, that is, game keeping on 

 eowal in length to the fbwrth, which b the longest u 

 the wing. The middle front toe on the foot longer 

 than any of the side ones ; and the daws are very 



tnongh they also are 



lasd countries, 

 wooded 



TH GOS-HAWX ( J. jWa^Aarw; b mqoesdonably 

 the finest of all the hawks; and in those days when 



crooked and sharp at the points. They still, how- 

 ever, preserve the trae character of birds which kill 

 prey and eat it hi the recent state, at the form of their 

 beaks, w&iea are curbed from M-? '.^^ ar. ; -__ -^ a^.i- 

 dedlr it tit imiinj, beaks than those even of the 



The specific distinctions of L*-*ts ar? =i"-rr of 

 great intricacy, especially time of countries 

 which are fitrle known, and where, in many Iaprf. 

 a flBgfe specimen of the bird is all that has been 

 seen, and that not always by persons capable of form- 

 ing an accnrate judgment respecting k. This dflfi- 

 cu. ty arises, in great part, front the variety of eoloan 

 to which most birds of prey are object," 

 ages and in different sknaaons. We 

 this in birds which 



- - 



mthearlneai- 



ties, are not migrant. The general ruie we believe 

 it as taey advance in yean they become paler 

 in their c&krvs. and at the same rlr.T :^cre^~e ::." -.z~ 

 and in strength. This B evidently the origin of that 

 aHrgoirical allnrion in which the eagle is said to renew 

 t age ; for not the eagles only, bat all birds of prey, 



il-: ----- :-:.. - --. :- : . 



' 



As is the ease *LL_ falcons ^-: ~-^ ' ~. bat =-:-5i 

 I gpmasinlhmwksare fwnadnithecoU IntknaW; Isst 

 ; they are not so atneh birds of the sntinntain, the storm, 

 i and the free sky, as the falcons and eagles are. They 

 ailiy cenntrHs, where then are woods ; anil 



pnrjai - -..^ 



the 



near k, saeh as hares and rabbits, wild 

 dncks, partridges, and other ground birds, which 

 rardy take the sky to any great height. It is longer 



feathers ; the wings are considerably shorter and more 

 concave than those of the falcon, and thns k is not 

 on the air, as k often the case ith that 



after one has seen the flight of faleoss* that of 

 gos>oawk appears a very inferior and secondary L _ 



_e snort hoHov wings give it the appearance 

 of getting on wkh great labour; and thoagh, from 

 the character of ks game, widen, when wmged, is 

 mmmy nWrtei i'.-.^ -_^^ ;^.f. ; : ^ prei:r \^,^ <^ 

 ks prey, k ssakes bat poor work if thrown off at a 



nl u.^, >..e::-_ ^ :: is. ^_e_ 

 iMimbtNMl of air-birds, sneh as swallows, they drive at 

 k in aH directions, and so perplex and annoy k, that k 

 tans craven and mrart osT to the hiQs or tbe woods. 

 TL-. femmt m this, -^ m il the gther hk* ^ P rtv. 

 k by nsneA the iner bad. When fall grown, the 

 general colour of aB the upper pans, the ear-coverts, 

 and a streak rontinncd thence to the VMfr. 

 blackish brown; the back ssottled, the tips of the 

 ear-covem re&eved, and the anfik of the wings and 

 ua-fcaihers %ed ith test uuu of a i 



The space between the nostril and the eye 

 k grey, and the rest of the nndrr part white, wkh 



niBns1 -^.ti.'ei.xa 



-.. nrawa ir.: 



are very delicate on the long feathers of the legs, and 

 scsrcdy obwrmbie on the vent and nnHrr tafl- 

 envcats. T-t lanUn^tanV6ahcni .-. ihcnne, y..-^*, 

 and edged with white. Thongh the rolnnrs are not 

 showy, they are very well contrasted. The irides are 

 grey, the naked pans yeUow, wkh a very owiek and 

 peneiratke eye. In the male bird, the top of tho 

 tts; nedk -= ^..--.i fj^iamt --.'.-.'* <,. -.*:- 



tinge over tw greater poroon o<* the body. He 



