THE GOS-HAWKS, 
139 
grant. Three notices of the occurrence of the bird in Ireland 
have been published. 
Eange outside the British Islands. — The Gos-Hawk is a resident 
in most parts of Europe up to 60° N. lat., and extends in 
the north to Troraso and Archangel, throughout Russia and 
Siberia to the borders of the Japanese Sea, breeding through- 
out this wide range wherever suitable forests present them- 
selves. It is resident in all the Japanese Islands. It also 
breeds in the Himalayas, and descends in winter to the lower 
valleys. In the eastern portion of its range it seems to be 
more strictly migratory than it is in Europe, where the migrants 
are principally young birds. North-eastern Africa, Palestine, 
and Egypt seem to be the winter-quarters of most of these 
migrating Gos-Hawks from Northern Europe. 
Hahits. — ^The name Gos-Hawk is said to be a corruption of 
Goose-Hawk, though it is doubtful if the bird, powerful though 
it be, ever attempts to capture a bird as large as a Goose. 
The list of animals on which it preys is, however, a sufficiently 
lartre one : hares, rabbits, small rodents, squirrels, pheasants, 
partridges, grouse, ducks, and smaller birds. It is even said, 
in the Himalayas, to capture the great Moonal Pheasants. 
Althouo'h it is a very fierce and powerful species, it is capable 
of being trained by Falconers into a very useful bird for the 
chase, and is said, by those who know it well, to develop great 
intelligence, as well as docility. A rabbit has little chance 
with a Gos-Hawk, for, even when given a good start, the easy 
speed with which the great bird sails down upon it speedily 
puts an end to the chase, and it is as nimble as the rabbit in 
doubling and twisting in its tracks. Mr. 1 hompson con- 
tributes to Mr. Hume’s “ Rough Notes on Indian Raptores ” 
an exceedingly interesting account of the way in which the 
Gos-Hawk is flown in the Himalayas. He writes “ Despite 
all that has been said about these short-winged Hawks, this 
bird is capable of attaining a high degree of efficiency as a 
bold and rapid flier, a fagless worker, and affording decidedly 
the best sport that can be had in a forest country. I have 
taken a Quail in the middle of April with my Gos-Hawks flying 
straight off the fist at the quarry. They have also flown at 
Partridge and Quail, 800 to 1,000 yards from where they were 
slipped. When first put to the quarry, they fly with outspread 
