GOSHAWK. 307 



Adult. Above, including upper winjr and tail coverts, bluish-ash, with the (outliers lined next the shaft and edged 

 with s<>ty-brown. \Vini:-, very dark sooty-brown, with tlie outer webs (.f the secondaries, bluish-ash, while the outer 

 edg.si.f the cuter vobs , ft he priaiari.s show nun s < f it. The inner webs of primn ries and a portion (f secondaries are 

 iiniadly barred with whitish. The upper tail coverts are bluish-ash, slightly tipped with white. Tail, bluish-ash, burred 

 with spots of dark-brown nnd tipped with white. IVneat'i, everywhere, uniform bluish-white, every feather streaked 

 in the center :tnd barred irrr.nularly with slaty. Top of head and lino on side of it back of eye, black. Lores, bluish and 

 dusky. Superciliary line, white, streaked with black. Nearly concealed patch on occiput, white. Iris, bright reddish- 

 orange. 



Yuuny. Entire upprr surface, dark-brown, becoming reddish on the wings which are barred with dusky and white, 

 ashy "ii the tail which is barred with s.>ty black, and darker on the shoulders, neck, and head, the two latter, streaked 

 witli dark-brown. 



Youny of the year. Quite similar to the above but decidedly rufous on both surfaces. In the last two stages, the cere 

 and feet arc greenish, the iris is yellow, and the bill, dark-brown 



OBSERVATIONS 



There is considerable variation in specimens in the adult plumage, particularly in regard to the width of the markings 

 below, thus i:i sum- they are much hn.adcr and darker than in others, but the species may be at once recognized, in the 

 adult -tan,', by tin- irenenil ashy -blue color, and in younger stages, by the peculiar form, large size, and colors as described. 

 Distributed, as a suiniBer resident, throughout North America, north of Canada, migrating in winter south, at least, to 

 Pennsylvania 



DIMENSIONS 



Average measurements of femalespecimens from Eastern North America. Length, 23'CO; stretch, 45'CO; wing, 13'CO; 

 tail, 10-50; bill, 72; tarsus, 2 90. Longest specimen, 24'00; greatest extent of wing, 4G'00; bugest wing, 1400; toil, ll'OO; 

 bill, -75; tarsus, 3'00. Shortest specimen, 22'00; smallest extent of wing, 44'GO; shortest wing, 13 00; tail, 10 00 bill, -70; tar- 

 sus, 2-80. 



Average measurements of male specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 2l"00; stretch, 41'00; wing, 12'50; 

 tail, 9'50; bill, '70; tarsus, 2'75. Longest specimen, 22 00: greatest extent of wing, 43'CO; longest wing, 13-00; tail, 10-00 

 bill, -72; tarsus, 2'80. Shortest specimen, 20'00; smallest extent of wing, 40'00; shortest wing, IS'OO; tail, 9'0<); bill, -68) 

 tarsus, 2 70. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees, they are very bulky structures composed of sticks, twigs, nnd weeds, lined with strips of bark 

 and jrrass. 



K;/!ls, three or four in number, rather spherical in form, bluish-white in color, cither immaculate or finely mottled 

 with pale reddish-brown. Dimensions from r82x2'30 to 1-92x2 32. 



HABITS. 



In flight and general h.abits, the Goshawks are not unlike Cooper's Hawk but I think 

 that they are rather more inclined to hunt in the woods than tlie latter named species, be- 

 ing, in fact, very nearly as arboreal in this respect as the Broad-wing. On account of 

 frequenting wooded districts, the Goshawks become very expert in flying through the trees 

 and I have seen them dashing along at full speed, avoiding the numerous limbs and obsta- 

 cles which hang in their path, with the greatest ease. This facility for passing through 

 the trees, together with the power of turning almost instantly, enables them to capture 

 squirrels, rabbits, etc., and I have even seen them take Ruffed Grouse; in short, in some 

 sections of New England, they hunt this latter named bird so persistently that they are 

 called Partridge Hawks. 



During the summer of 1808, a pair of. these fine Hawks remained throughout the sea- 

 son in the town of Weston, Massachusetts, and I frequently saw them sailing over the 

 meadows but was unable to discover the nest although I searched for it carefully in the 

 adjacent woods. If this pair had a nest in the vicinity, which was quite probable, such 



