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 ffawk 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 emperor, 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. 
