IHE BIBBS OF PBEY OF THE PUNJAB. ]3r> 



three sides and open on the fourth, and I was 

 working in the verandah of the tent which Avas 

 enclose(^ by " chicks" all round, except the centre 

 " chick " which was tied up and acted as a doorway. 

 Suddenly there Avas a tremondous commotion among 

 the fowls and one old cock came rushing into the 

 verandah with something hanging on to him, rushed 

 past my table and into the tent itself. I followed and 

 pulled the squalling bird out from under the bed 

 and to my surprise found a very ancient male 

 goshawk, still holding on. I naturally thought it 

 must be somebodj^'s tame bird escaped. 



The hawk literally fell oft' the cock as soon as I 

 pulled the latter out from under the bed, and lay on 

 the floor in a sort of fit. I picked him up and found 

 it emaciated to a degree and nothing, but skin and 

 bone. There was a slight wound in one wing, Avhich 

 accounted for his condition, and the poor thing 

 evidently put in every ounce of his remaining 

 strength to get a meal, but the cock was one too 

 much for him in his starving condition. The warmth 

 of the stove revived him and he sat on my fist as 

 though he had been accustomed to it for weeks and, 

 had a feed of raw meat, a small one to begin Avith 

 followed by another in a couple of hours. 



In three or four days the bird began to put on 

 condition and in about a fortnight, the Aving having 

 entirely healed, I released him after giving him a 

 good meal. This bird was a very pale blue grey 

 above and pure Avhite beloAv profusely barred Avith 

 black. A dark grey head and oranc/e eyes. 



The GoshaAvk breeds in trees from March to June 

 and lays 3 to 4 eggs. '• usually nearly pure Avhite, 

 but occasionally spotted or blotched." I have had 

 youngsters brought to me as late as July and the only 

 nest 1 have seen Avas high up in the fork of a Blue 

 Pine (Pinus excelsa) at an elevation of about 8,-500 

 feet. 



The Goshawk is the only "True " hawk that will 

 folloAV its quarry for any distance. I have myself 

 seen them folloAV partridges for 600 yards or so, and 

 Hume quotes Mr. Thompson, a keen falconer, as 

 saying that he has knoAvn his GoshaAvks to take a 

 partridge or quail 800 to 1,000 yards where the 

 haAA'ks Avere slipped. 

 No. 1244. Astur hadius. The Shikra, 

 Characteristics, Size small, length from 12* to 14 inches: wing 



7 to Si; tail 7. Tip of prmiaries in closed Avmg 

 only reaching to about half Avay doAvn the tail ; 

 bill from gape § to | length of mid-toe without 

 claw. 

 Colouration. Somewhat similar to the preceding species, 



generally and varying from it by the upper parts be- 

 ing brown, in the young, with buff edges to the 

 feathers, to a pale ashy grey in old birds. 



