The Gos-Hawk. '23 



it lip with her beak into neat longitudinal strips of fur and flesh which were then 

 bolted. Sport with Gos-Hawks is apt to prove dull occasionally, as the birds on 

 receiving a check will fly off and perch upon some tree, where tliey will sulk for 

 hours in complete indifference to the lure, and then, as an old keeper observed, 

 " Lor, Sir, this is very poor work after ferrets ! " 



The Gos-Hawk is found in all the well-wooded countries of Burope, rarely in 

 North Africa, while in Asia it extends through Asia Minor, North Palestine, 

 Persia, Tiirkestan, the Himalayas, Mongolia, North China, and Siberia. It is 

 occasionally seen on the plains of India during the cold season. In North America 

 it is replaced by a closely allied subspecies, Astur atricapillus. 



The Gos-Hawk nests in April, and according to Seebohm " generally selects 

 a lofty beech for the situation of its nest, which is usually placed at some elevation 

 from the ground in one of the main forks. It also breeds in oaks and pine trees; 

 and even, when systematically robbed, it will breed year after year in the same 

 nest." Lord Lilford found the Gos-Hawk nesting " in coniferous trees, in the 

 lateral boughs at a considerable height from the ground." A nest examined hy 

 Seebohm was "an enormous structure, measuring at least four feet by two." 

 " The Gos-Hawk," he adds, " builds a deeper nest than the Eagles or Buzzards, 

 and lines it with line twigs, roots, moss, and lichens, but not green leaves. The 

 largest nests are most probably the oldest, and have been added to 5'ear after 

 year. All the nests I saw were in the forests, but not at any great distance from 

 the outskirts." The eggs are usually four in number, occasionall}- three, some- 

 times five ; they are pale bluish green, approaching white, ver\^ rarely spotted 

 with dirty blood-red, and in size measure from 2 '45 to 2'i inches, b}- from i"85 

 to I '6 inches. 



The flight of the Gos-Hawk is extremely rapid and low over the ground, the 

 long tail being used as a rudder, throAvn to the right or left, upwards and down- 

 wards, to check the progress of the bird, or to enable it to alter its course. Its 

 cry is said to resemble that of the Sparrow- Haw^k. 



The Gos-Hawk may best be described bj- stating that it is a giant SparroAv- 

 Hawk. The colour of the upper parts is dark gre3nsh bro-\\Ti ; the tail has four 

 bars of darker brown ; eye-stripe, lores, and nape, dull gre3'ish white ; under parts 

 nearly white, spotted and barred with dull black, except on the under tail-coverts ; 

 cheeks dark brown ; legs and toes yellow ; claws black ; beak bluish horn colour ; 

 cere 3^ellow ; irides orange. The female resembles the male, but is larger and 

 browner. Length of male twent}- inches; of female-twent}'- three inches. The 3-oung 

 birds have the upper parts brown; the under parts huffish white, closeh- marked with 

 drop shaped spots of reddish brown ; cere and legs greenish 3-ellow ; irides vellow. 



