BRITISH BIRDS. 



THE GOSHAWK. 



(Falco palumbariiiS) Linn. L'Aufotir Temm.) 



LENGTH of the female from one foot ten inches to 

 two feet, the male is a third less : the bill blue, 

 tipped with black ; cere green ; eyes yellow ; a 

 whitish line passes over each eye : the head and all 

 the upper parts are of a deep brown ; each side of 

 the neck is irregularly marked with white ; the 

 breast and belly are white, with a number of wavy 

 lines or bars of black; the tail long, of an ash 

 colour, and crossed with four or five dusky bars ; 

 legs yellow ; claws black ; the wings are much 

 shorter than the tail. Buffon, w r ho brought up two 

 young birds of this kind, a male and a female, 

 makes the following observation : " That the Gos- 

 hawk, before it has shed its feathers, that is, in its 



