508 THE GOSHAWK. 



white beneath, every feather streaked in the center and 

 barred irregularly with slaty; top of the head and line back 

 of the eye, black; eye-brow, and concealed patch on the 

 back of the head, white; iris, reddish orange. 



In full plumage, with its fine uniform upper parts, and its 

 delicately penciled under parts, this is about the most 

 beautiful of all our Hawks. Swift in flight, arboreal in its 

 habits, very expert in winding its rapid course among the 

 trees, and able to turn about almost instantly, it captures 

 squirrels, rabbits and grouse with the utmost ease. 

 Indeed, the capture of the last is so characteristic, that in 

 some parts of New England this species is known as the 

 Partridge Hawk. It may skirt the fields in search of the 

 smaller birds; may follow the water-courses in pursuit of 

 the Ducks, making even the Mallard its prey; or it may 

 come, rarely, even into the farm-yard, at the peril of the 

 common poultry. 



Audubon relates an interesting instance which he wit- 

 nessed on one of our great rivers, of the chase of a flock of 

 Crow Blackbirds, by this species: " The Hawk approached 

 them with the swiftness of an arrow, when the Blackbirds 

 rushed together so closely that the flock looked l-ike a dusky 

 ball passing through the air. On reaching the mass, he, 

 with the greatest ease, seized first one, then another, and 

 another, giving each a squeeze with his talons, and suffering 

 it to drop upon the water. In this manner he had procured 

 four or five before the poor birds reached the woods, into 

 which they instantly plunged, when he gave up the chase, 

 swept over the water in graceful curves, and picked up the 

 fruits of his industry, carrying each bird singly to the shore. 

 Reader, is this instinct or reason ? " 



Its nest, placed in tall trees, built of sticks and weeds 

 and lined with grasses and bark-fibers, contains some 3-4 



