WHISTLING HAWKS. 24 L 



attains a length of 19 , and the female of 23 inches. The goshawk has a 

 range nearly the same as that of the sparrow-hawk, although it does not appear 

 to descend from the Himalaya to the plains of India. In North America it is 

 replaced by the American goshawk (A. atricapillus), distinguished by its slightly 

 superior size, and by the plumage of the under-parts being merely flecked with 

 ashy grey, instead of barred. Although rare in Britain, the goshawk is common in 

 Germany and other parts of the Continent, breeding as far north as Lapland. 

 Instead of " stooping " to its quarry, after the manner of the falcons, the goshawk 

 flies along after it, and takes by the mode technically known as " raking." It is 

 flown at the larger game-birds, as well as at hares and rabbits; and will not 

 unfrequently follow its prey for some distance in covert. The nest is usually built 

 in a tall tree on the outskirts of a wood or forest ; and may contain from three 

 to four eggs, which are white, and may be either unspotted, or more or less 

 streaked with olive, or flecked with reddish brow r n. 



. . ^ Nearly allied to the goshawks is a group of African species (one 



'of which is represented on the right side of the illustration on 

 p. 246), characterised by the possession of a more tuneful voice than hawks in 

 general. By recent observers the note of these birds is described as a mellow 

 piping whistle ; and, accordingly, it seems better that they should be designated 

 whistling hawks, rather than " chanting goshawks," as they were originally termed, 

 when somewhat exaggerated notions obtained as to the extent of their vocal 

 powers. These hawks differ from the goshawks by the presence of a tubercle in 

 the nostrils, situated near the upper margin ; while they are distinguished from an 

 allied South American genus by the small extent to which the metatarsus is 

 feathered, and by the whole of the outer side of that segment of the leg being 

 covered with reticulate scales. 



The many-zoned hawk (Melierax polyzonus), which is the species represented 

 in our illustration, is a large and handsomely-coloured bird inhabiting North- 

 Eastern Africa, and ranging thence across the continent to Senegambia. The males 

 measure 20J inches, and the females 21 inches in length. Like all the species save 

 one, the general colour of the upper-parts is pearly grey, the chest ashy grey, and 

 the abdomen white, barred with a number of very tine greyish black bands, so as 

 to present a kind of speckled appearance. The species is particularly characterised 

 by the absence of bars on the middle tail-feathers, and the white upper tail-coverts 

 barred with slaty grey. The bill is blackish, with a vermilion base, the iris pale 

 brown, and the legs, feet, and cere vermilion. A nearly allied species is the 

 South African whistling hawk (M. canorus); but the much smaller and widely 

 distributed black whistling hawk (M. niger) differs from all the others by its sable 

 plumage, in striking contrast to which stands out the brilliant red of the iris,. cere, 

 base of the bill, and feet and legs. In Abyssinia the figured species is found at 

 considerable elevations above the sea. Mr. Blanford states that it is usually to be 

 seen perched on a tree, although occasionally on the ground ; and that its food 

 consists of reptiles and insects. Its flight is rather slow, and somewhat like that 

 of a buzzard, and is seldom prolonged for any great distance. 

 Harrier Hawks Omitting mention of three unimportant genera, two of which 



are South American and the other West African, we come to the 

 VOL. iv. 1 6 



