PIGEON HAWK. 45 



The Pigeon Hawk is eleven inches long, and twenty-three 

 broad; the whole upper parts are of a deep dark brown,' except 

 the tail, which is crossed with bars of white; the inner vanes of 

 the quill feathers are marked with round spots of reddish brown; 

 the bill is short, strongly toothed, of a light blue colour, and 

 tipped with black; the skin surrounding the eye greenish; cere 

 the same; temples, and line over the eye, light brown; the 

 lower parts brownish white, streaked laterally with dark brown; 

 legs yellow, claws black. The female is an inch and a half 

 longer, of a still deeper colour, though marked nearly in the 

 same manner, with the exception of some white on the hind- 

 head. The femorals, or thigh feathers, in both, are of a remark- 

 able length, reaching nearly to the feet, and are also streaked 

 longitudinally with dark brown. The irides of the eyes of this 

 bird have been hitherto described as being of a brilliant yellow; 

 but every specimen I have yet met with had the iris of a deep 

 hazel. I must therefore follow nature, in opposition to very 

 numerous and respectable authorities. 



I cannot, in imitation of European naturalists, embellish the 

 history of this species with anecdotes of its exploits in falconry. 

 This science, if it may be so called, is among the few that have 

 never yet travelled across the Atlantic; neither does it appear 

 that the idea of training our hawks or eagles to the chace ever 

 suggested itself to any of the Indian nations of North America. 

 The Tartars, however, from whom, according to certain wri- 

 ters, many of these nations originated, have long excelled in 

 the practice of this sport; which is indeed better suited to an 

 open country than to one covered with forest. Though once so 

 honourable and so universal, it is now much disused in Europe, 

 and in Britain is nearly extinct Yet I cannot but consider it as 

 a much more noble and princely amusement than horse-racing 

 and cock-fighting, cultivated in certain states with so much 

 care; or even than pugilism, which is still so highly patronized 

 in some of those enlightened countries. 



