32 BIRDS OF PREY. 



Fresh Pond Hotel, in the moult, having the stomach crammed 

 with moles and mice, and it was shot in the act of devouring 

 a Pigeon. 



The Goshawk was held in considerable esteem for falconry, 

 and, according to Bell, was employed for this amusement by 

 the emperor of China, who moved sometimes to these excur- 

 sions in great state, often bearing a Hawk on his hand, to let 

 fly at any game that might be raised, which was usually Pheas- 

 ants, Partridges, Quails, or Cranes. In 1269 Marco Polo 

 witnessed this diversion of the en?peror, which probably had 

 existed for many ages previous. The falconers distinguished 

 these birds of sport into two classes, — namely, those of falconry 

 properly so called, and those of hawking; and in this second 

 and inferior class were included the Goshawk, the Sparrow 

 Hawk, Buzzard, and Harpy. This species does not soar so high 

 as the longer-winged Hawks, and darts upon its quarry by a side 

 glance, not by a direct descent, like the true Falcon. These 

 birds were caught in nets baited with live Pigeons, and reduced 

 to obedience by the same system of privation and discipline 

 as the Falcon. 



A pair of Goshawks were kept for a long time in a cage by 

 Buffon ; he remarks that the female was at least a third larger 

 than the male, and the wings, when closed, did not reach 

 within six inches of the end of the tail. The male, though 

 smaller, was much more fierce and untamable. They often 

 fought with their claws, but seldom used the bill for any other 

 purpose than tearing their food. If this consisted of birds, 

 they were plucked as neatly as by the hand of the poulterer ; 

 but mice were swallowed whole, and the hair and skin, and 

 other indigestible parts, after the manner of the genus, were 

 discharged from the mouth rolled up in little balls. Its cry 

 was raucous, and terminated by sharp, reiterated, piercing 

 notes, the more disagreeable the oftener they were repeated ; 

 and the cage could never be approached without exciting 

 violent gestures and screams. Though of different sexes, and 

 confined to the same cage, they contracted no friendship for 

 each other which might soothe their imprisonment, and finally, 



