Goshawks. RAPTORES. ASTUR. 29 



chiefly the inhabitants of wooded districts, and possess a 

 wide geographical distribution. 



GOSHAWK. 



AsTUR PALUMBARIUS, Bcchst. 

 PLATES Xir. AND XII*. 



Falco palumbarius, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 130.— Grne/. Syst. 1. p. 2G9. sp. 30.^ 



— Lath. Ind. Ornith. 1. 29." sp. 65 Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. v. 1. p. 49. 



— Fauna Suec. No. ()7 — Raii, Syn. p. 18. 1 — Will. p. 5. t. 3. and 5. 



Astur, Briss. 1. p. 317 11^- Svo, p. 91. 



L'Aiitour, Buff. Ois. 1. p. 130 — Id- PI. Enl. 418 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 



1. p. 55. 2d ed. 

 Hunderhabicht, Bechst. Tasschenb. Deut. v. 1. p. 28. 

 Goshawk, Br. Zool. 1. No. 52. t. 24.— Arct. Zool. 2. No. 99 Lath. Syn. 



1. p. 58.— /«'. Sup. p. 16 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. — Id. Suppl.— .//iJM.' 2. 



t. 8 Lewin^s Br. Birds, 1. t. 9 — Wale. Syn. 1. t. 9. — Beivick's Br. 



Birds, 1. p. 23 — Shale's Zool. v. 7. p. 118 Low^s Fauna Oread, p. 30.^ 



\ Synonyms of 

 '^ Adult. 



Faleo gallinarius, Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 266. sp. 73. ^. 



Falco gentilis, Gmel. p. 270. sp. 13 — Lath. Ind. Ornith, i. p. 29. sp. 66. I Synonyms of 



L'Autour sors. Buff. PI. Enl. pi. 461. and 423. } Young. 

 Greater Buzzard, Lath. Syn. v. p. 49. 



/ 



This powerful species of Falcon is very rarely met with in 

 England. I have never seen a recent specimen south of the 

 Tweed. In the wild and mountainous districts of Scotland 

 it is more common, and is known to breed in the forest of 

 Rothiemurchus, and on the wooded banks of the Dee ; and, 

 according to Low, in his Fauna Orcadensis, is rather nume- 

 rous in those islands (Orkneys), where it breeds in the rocks 

 and sea-cliffs. Its flight is very rapid, but generally low, and 

 it strikes its prey upon the wing. Different kinds of feathered Food, 

 game, wild ducks^ hares and rabbits form its principal food. 

 According to Meyer, it will even prey upon the young of 

 its own species. It generally builds in lofty fir trees, and Nest, &c. 

 lays from two to four eggs, of a skim-milk white, marked 

 with streaks and spots of reddish-brown. 



By falconers, it was considered to be the best and most 

 courageous of the short-winged hawks, and was accordingly 



