8o 



THE BIRDS OF THE WOODS 



and never, like falcons and buzzards, on the tops of trees where the nest would be 

 visible from a distance. 



The common hawk of central Europe is the goshawk (Astur palwmba rius), 

 a species which flies over the plains and hilly country, and takes its rest in the 

 woodland patches around fields and meadows. The nest of this hawk, which is 

 more often placed in the spruce-fir than in the pine or oak, is sometimes a j T ard in 

 width, and has a basement of sticks an inch thick, with thinner twigs above. 

 fhe voune are "rev above, and of a pure downy white beneath. At first 

 they rest on their shanks, with the toes placed close together, but after some weeks 



HIE .'-HAWK. 



they leara to stand up, and in a couple of months are fledged enough to leave the 

 nest. The mother takes such care of her young that she is heedless of any danger 

 where they are concerned, and attacks not only men and children, but even horses, 

 if she thinks they mean mischief. So long as the young are in it, the nest is 

 quite a larder of slaughtered birds and small mammals. The goshawk preys on 

 pigeons, ducks, partridges ami other game-birds, crows, rooks, magpies, jays, and 

 many smaller birds, as well as on field-mice, hamsters, squirrels, weasels, hares 

 and rabbits. It steals young rooks from their nest, killing the old birds after 

 a short struggle, and although a mob of rooks may sometimes try to punish the 

 robber, it is rarely without one falling a victim to the desire of revenge. 



