RED-TAILED HAWK. 59 



figure and account of the Gostawk, given by the ingenious Mr. Bewick 

 (Brit. Birds, v. i., p. 65), I have very little doubt that the present will 

 be found to be the same. 



The Goshawk inhabits France and Germany ; is not very common in 

 South Britain, but more frequent in the northern parts of the island, 

 and is found in Russia and Siberia. Buffon, who reared two young 

 birds of this kind, a male and female, observes, that " the Goshawk 

 before it has shed its feathers, that is, in its first year, is marked on the 

 breast and belly with longitudinal brown spots ; but after it has had 

 two moultings they disappear, and their place is occupied by transverse 

 waving bars, which continue during the rest of its life;" he also takes 

 notice, that though the male was much smaller than the female, it was 

 fiercer and more vicious. 



Pennant informs us that the Goshawk is used by the emperor of China 

 in his sporting excursions, when he is usually attended by his grand 

 falconer, and a thousand of inferior rank. Every bird has a silver 

 plate fastened to its foot, with the name of the falconer who has the 

 charge of it, that in case it should be lost, it may be restored to the 

 proper person ; but if he should not be found, the bird is delivered to 

 another officer, called the guardian of lost birds, who, to make his 

 situation known, erects his standard in a conspicuous place among the 

 army of hunters. The same writer informs us, that he examined in 

 the Leverian museum, a specimen of the Goshawk which came from 

 America, and which was superior in size to the European. 



Species VIII. FALCO BOBEALIS. 



RED-TAILED HAWK. 



[Plate LII. Jig. 1.] 



Arci. Zool. p. 205, No. 100. — American Bvzzard, Lath, i., 50. — Turt. Syst. p. 151. 

 — F.Aquilinus, cauda ferruginea, Great Eagle Hawk, Bartram, p. 290. 



The figure of this bird, and those of the other two Hawks in the- 

 same plate, are reduced to exactly half the dimensions of the living 

 subjects. These representations are ofi"ered to the public with a con- 

 fidence in their fidelity ; but these, I am sorry to say, are almost all I 

 have to give towards elucidating their history. Birds naturally thinly 

 dispersed over a vast extent of country, retiring during summer to the 

 depth of the forests to breed, approaching the habitations of man, like 

 other thieves and plunderers, with shy and cautious jealousy, seldom 

 permitting a near advance, subject to great changes of plumage, and, 



