File:Young folk's illustrated book of birds - with numerous original, instructive and amusing anecdotes (1880) (14749511282).jpg

Identifier: youngfolksillust00bilb (find matches)
Title: Young folk's illustrated book of birds : with numerous original, instructive and amusing anecdotes
Year: 1880 (1880s)
Authors: Bilby, T. (Thomas), 1794-1872
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York : John W. Lovell Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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never heard ofits being practised in our aountry, although it is still com-mon in Persia, and sometimes, though rarely, there arehawking parties on the continent of Europe. The American Goshawk is twenty-one inches long; extentof wings thirty-seven inches. Its colour is dark ash, tingedwith brown. Our species is related to a European one,which extends over the northern countries of the Old World.It is rare, migrating to the south in winter ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTES. In Mr. NuttalFs Ornithology we find the following inte-resting particulars concerning this bird: On the 26th of October, 1830, I received one of thesebirds from the proprietor of Fresh Pond Hotel, in themoult, 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 fal-conry, and, according to Bell, was employed for this amuse-ment by the emperor of China, who moved sometimes tothese excursions in great state, often bearing a hawk on hii
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THE GOSHAWK. 37 hand, to let fly at any game that might be raised; whichwas usuaJly pheasants, partridges, quails, or cranes. Id1269, Marco Paulo witnessed this diversion of the emperor,which probably had existed for many ages previous. Thefalconers distinguished these birds of sport into two classes,namely, those of falconry properly so called, and those ofhawking ; and in this second and inferior class were includedthe Goshawk, the Sparrow-hawk, Buzzard, and Harpy.This species does not soar so high as the longer-wingedHawks, and darts upon its quarry by a side glance, not bya direct descent, like the true falcon. They were caughtin nets baited with live pigeons, and reduced to obedienceby the same system of privation and discipline as the falcon.A pair of these birds were kept for a long time in a cageby Buffon; he remarks, that the female was at least a thirdlarger than the male, and the wings, when closed, did notreach within six inches of the end of the tail. The male,though smal

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