AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 
85 
AMERICAN GOSHAWK. 
( Falco atricapillus , Wilson. Am. Orn. vi. p. 80. pi. 52. fig. 3. 
F. regalis , Temminck. Philadelphia Museum, No. 406.) 
Spec. Charact. — Dark bluish-grey ; eyebrows nearly white; be- 
neath white, everywhere transversely and narrowly banded and 
longitudinally lined with dark brown ; tail ash-colored, banded 
with dark brown ; cere greenish-yellow. — Young , dusky brown, 
skirted with ferruginous ; beneath yellowish- white with oblong 
spots of dark brown ; tail with 4 dark bands and tipped with white. 
The foreign representative of this elegant and spirited 
species of Hawk appears to be common in France, Ger- 
many, the northern parts of Great Britain, Russia, and 
Siberia, and extends into Chinese Tartary. Our species, 
so nearly related to the European bird, is very rare, mi- 
grating to the south apparently at the approach of win- 
ter. On the 26th of October, 1836, I received one of 
these birds from the proprietor of 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 some- 
times to these excursions in great state, often bearing a 
hawk on his hand, to let fly at any game that might 
be raised ; which was usually Pheasants, Partridges, 
Quails, or Cranes. In 1269,- Marco Paulo 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 di- 
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