132 Game Falcons of New England: The Goshawk. [March, 
This is the story of a colony of New England butterflies. I 
commend this colony to the protection of all good citizens of the 
State of New Hampshire. 
E ET 
THE GAME FALCONS OF NEW ENGLAND: THE GOS- 
HAWK. 
BY W. WOOD, M. D. i 
T a hen, this bird (Astur atricapillus) has not the char- 
acteristic markings of the true falcon, yet it can be trained 
to capture game. It was considered by Audubon, Sabine, and 
others to be the same as the European goshawk, which was so 
highly prized for sporting. Says Wilson, “If this be not the 
celebrated goshawk formerly so much esteemed in falconry, it is 
very closely allied to it.” The poet Chaucer in alluding to it 
says, — 
“ Riding on hawking by the river, 
With grey goshawk in hand.” 
Falconry and hawking, as defined by our lexicographers, are 
synonymous, but formerly birds of sport were divided into two 
classes, those of falconry and those of hawking. This bird came 
under the latter class. Mr. Pennant informs us that “ the gos- 
hawk is used by the Emperor of China in his sporting excursions, 
and is considered the best of all hawks for falconry.” The same 
writer further says that he “examined a specimen from America 
which was superior in size to the European.” Whether the 
American and the European are identical I am unable to say ; but 
many of our ornithologists at the present time consider them 
specifically distinct. Until quite recently, the tendency of or- 
nithologists has been to make as many new species out of one 
bird as possible. Every change of locality necessitating a differ- 
ent construction of nest, and every slight change in color, arising 
from climacteric causes, has been seized upon to create new spe- 
cies. Happily for science there is now a reaction taking place 
among our best ornithologists. Says Professor Baird, “I take 
more pains now to subordinate forms once considered specific, 
than I do to establish them as such.” It is not impossible or 
even improbable that our goshawk may yet be considered identi- 
cal with the European species, and our perigrine falcon with its 
European congener. The goshawk is the handsomest of all our 
rapacious birds, and is so beautifully marked as to be easily distin- 
guished from all our hawks. It is not very common in any part 
