106 ACCIPITRES. 



| 



which is a bird of eastern countries, and very discursive in 

 its habits, has, of late years, been occasionally shot in Norfolk. 

 The male has the back deep ashen grey, and the belly and 

 thighs red: the female has the back grey with black spots, 

 and all the under part reddish.* 



HAWKS. 



The hawks are shorter winged than the falcons, and have 

 the longest feather farther into the wing the fourth being 

 the longest and the first very short, and the wings, when 

 closed, seldom reaching beyond the middle of the tail. They 

 are not therefore capable of such prolonged flight or graceful 

 turning in the air as the falcons; but their direct flight is 

 very rapid, though fluttering: they are bold and courageous; 

 and they strike their prey upon the wing. Though not so 

 far-sighted as the falcons, they see more perfectly within 

 their reach, and their habit requires it, as they see their prey 

 against the ground (which often resembles the prey in colour), 

 while the falcons see theirs more against the sky. Their 

 claws are much hooked and very sharp, and the middle toe is 

 very long, as compared with the inner and outer ones ; but 

 the tarsi are, at least in some species, long and slender, and 

 the whole body is less indicative of power than that of the 

 falcons. They nestle more in trees, and frequent wooded 

 places more than the falcons; but some also build in rocks. 

 The notch in the hawk is not so conspicuous ; but the beak is 

 more used as a prehensile instrument. 



THE GOS-HAWK (Ihlco palwnbarius) . 

 The gos-hawk is an exceedingly bold and powerful bird, 



* A specimen of this bird was shot in the county of Wicklow, in the 

 summer of 1832. This species, which is closely allied to the hobby, is 

 common in Russia, Poland, and Austria. M. 



