238 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



the Old World species but have a darker head. The name Goshawk is 

 said to be a contraction from their original Old World name of Goose 

 Hawk, they being said to frequently attack and kill both domestic and 

 wild geese. They were very frequently used in the Middle Ages as 

 harriers to pursue and capture prey for their owners. 



In this country they are very often known as Blue Hawks from their 

 color and as Partridge Hawks from their habit of catching these fast 

 flying birds on the wing. They feed almost exclusively upon flesh and 

 disdain to touch carrion. Squirrels, rodents, rabbits, grouse, ducks, 

 poultry and many small birds are included in their bill of fare. They 

 are very swift fliers' and are extremely agile in following the devious 

 course pursued by their victims, their long tail and short wings apparent- 

 ly allowing them to double and turn on their course with remarkable 

 facility. 



For boldness and audacity no other hawk can compare with them and 

 were they common in the United States throughout the year, poultry 

 raising would be anything but profitable. A friend in Vermont writes: 

 — "Last winter two Goshawks hung around our place and before we got 

 rid of them threatened to make away with all the chickens that we had. 

 We missed three hens in two days without knowing where they had 

 gone. The next day I heard a commotion in the hen yard and got out 

 of the house just in time to see a large Goshawk coming out of the 

 open coop-door with a chicken in his claws. I did not have the gun 

 with me and he refused to let go of the fowl when I shouted at him. I 

 prepared for another such occurence by placing a gun behind the door 

 where it could be handily reached. Although a chicken disappeared 

 with fatal regularity every day, It was nearly a week before I was able 

 to catch him in the act. A noisy cackling brought me to the door with 

 my weapon just as he was going over the fence with his struggling 

 victim. My shot failed to bring him down although it caused him to 

 drop the hen. In less than half an hour afterwards and while I was still 

 on guard he returned to try to get his daily meal but I had better success 

 this time and dropped him before he had caught his prey." 



They have also been known to strike and carry off a Grouse which 

 had just been shot and missed by a gunner, even before he was beyond 

 the range of the gun. Other instances have been recorded of their 

 entering houses through open windows to attack cage birds which they 

 saw hanging before the window, and of their swooping down and carry- 

 ing off fowls while the latter were being fed. They seem to have no 

 fear of anything when hunger spurs them on and the utter audacity of 

 their attack often stands them in good stead for they are away and 

 beyond reach before the observer recovers from his surprise. They 

 are one of the few hawks about which but very little can be said in 

 their favor but still we would all be very loath to see them exterminated. 



