144 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



green, approachiDg white, and in very rare instances show decided spots of 

 dirty blood-red. Wolley mentions eggs marked with pale olive ; but none 

 of these have ever come under my notice. The clay-coloured blotches 

 mentioned by Dresser are not uncommon, and appear to be stains. In 

 size they vary from 2-45 to 2'1 inch in length, and from 1-85 to 16 

 inch in breadth. Unspotted eggs of the Common Buzzard often resemble 

 the eggs of the Goshawk so closely as to be undistinguishable from them. 



The Goshawk was one of the falconer's favourites, and was flown at 

 Hares, Rabbits, Pheasants, Partridges, Rock-Doves, Teal, and Crows. It 

 does not, however, appear to have been a bird of long flight, and would 

 soon give up its quarry if not successful, and perch on some tree or bush 

 to await a new one. 



The general colour of the Goshawk^s upper parts is dark greyish brown, the 

 tail with four bars of darker brown ; eye-stripe, lores, and nape dull greyish 

 white ; rest of the underparts 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 yellow ; irides orange. 

 The female resembles the male, but is larger and browner. 



The young bird has the upper parts brown, the underparts buflBsh white, 

 closely marked with drop-shaped spots of reddish brown; cere and legs 

 greenish yellow ; irides yellow. 



