:252 The Animal-Lore of Shahspeare's Time. 
Though equal in size it was inferior in power to the 
largest of the falcons. It was not common, and was 
probably confounded with the peregrine. Unlike the 
last-named species, the goshawk does not swoop down 
upon its prey, but glides along the surface of the ground 
in pursuit of it; this mode of attack was called raking. 
The Sparrow-hawk, now the species most commonly 
Sparrow- encountered, was then held in low estimation, 
hawk. it is one of the most uniformly distributed of 
the hawk tribe, and according to Linschoten, an early 
traveller, was found in the Azores:— 
“ The lies of Acores, or the Flemish Hands, are seven. They are 
■called Acores, that is to say, Sparhawks or Hawkes, because that in their 
first discovery they found many sparhawks in them, whereof they 
hold the name, although at this day there is not any there to he found.” 
{. Purchas , vol. iv. p. 1667.) 
Buzzard. 
This hawk was used for taking land-rails, partridges, 
blackbirds, and other small birds. 
The Buzzard was considered too ignoble a bird to be 
reckoned among the hawks. Not unlike the 
owl in its stealthy noiseless flight, not far 
from the ground as a rule, it was capable of soaring to 
a considerable height, and of prolonged exertion. Sir 
Thomas Browne, in his list of Norfolk birds, gives the 
grey and bald buzzard. 
The Osprey, or Fishing-hawk, was not an uncommon 
bird at the mouth and along the banks of 
large rivers. Harrison, in his description of 
England, tells us that the fishing propensity of the osprey 
was often taken advantage of by the country people. 
Osprey. 
u We have,” be writes, “ ospraies which breed, with us in parks and 
woods, whereby the keepers of the same doo reape in breeding time no 
small commoditie ; for so soone almost as the yoong are hatched, they 
tie them to the but ends or ground ends of sundrie trees, where the 
old ones finding them, doo never cease to bring fish unto them which 
the keepers take and eat from them, and commonlie is such as is well fed. 
