592 



ON SOME SPJECIES OF TI^E 



R paium- the opinion of some authors, derive their name 



barius. r • • 



from this circumstance, as the word ^zor signi- 

 fies a Goshawk in the Spanish language. 



Considerable confusion has arisen in ornithology, 

 from the differences between the plumage of the 

 young and old birds of this species. The former, 

 as we have seen, has been described as a distinct 

 species under the name of Falcon Gentle, and the 

 latter has so seldom fallen into the hands of na- 

 turalists, in a state of complete maturity, that it 

 does not seem to have been accurately described 

 at all. 



I am inclined to think, that this bird is exteed- 

 ingly rare in England, if it is ever found at pre- 

 sent in the southern division of the island. I 

 should rather suppose it confined to the northern 

 districts of Scotland. In the Western Isles, the 

 name is sometimes improperly applied to the Ring- 

 tail, (Falco pygargiis ), but I have no reason to 

 suppose, that the true Goshawk occurs there. 



The adult male Goshawk, measures in length 

 rather more than one foot ten inches. Its bill is 

 blue, tipped with black, and lead colour at the 

 base. Cere greenish-yellow. Irides yellow. The 

 top of the head, back of the neck, and all the 

 upper parts of the body, are of a deep bluish- 

 black, with a few darker coloured spots, and in 

 some places slightly tinged with brown. On each 

 side of the neck above the shoulder, there is a 

 broken patch of white, and over each eye there 



