. A history of British birds. By the Rev. Morris .. . before the fine grey of the back and the bluish whiteof the breast are assumed. White varieties of this species have been sometimes metwith, and some of a tawny colour \\dth a few brown markings. I have compared, says Macgillivray, British and Frenchwith American specimens, both in the adult and young states,and am perfectly persuaded that no real difference existsbetween them. Were we to form specific distinctions uponsuch trifling discrepancies as are exhibited by the Goshawkof America and that of Europe, we might find that ourcommon
. A history of British birds. By the Rev. Morris .. . before the fine grey of the back and the bluish whiteof the breast are assumed. White varieties of this species have been sometimes metwith, and some of a tawny colour \\dth a few brown markings. I have compared, says Macgillivray, British and Frenchwith American specimens, both in the adult and young states,and am perfectly persuaded that no real difference existsbetween them. Were we to form specific distinctions uponsuch trifling discrepancies as are exhibited by the Goshawkof America and that of Europe, we might find that ourcommon ptarmigan, our bullfinch, wheatear, and kestrel, areeach of two or three species. Cuvier, in my opinion, verystrangely refers to the Falco atricapillus of Wilson, whichis the American Goshawk, as a species of Hierofalco, thatis, as intimately allied to the Jer-Falcon. The only nameby which this species is known in Britain, is that prefixedto this article, but variously written—Goshawk, Goss-hawk,or Gos-hawk, and apparently a corruption of Goose SPARE OW-HAWK 109 SPARROW-HAWK. GWEPIA, OP THE ANCIENT BRITISH. Accipiter Fringiilarius, Shaw. Falco nisus, LiNN^us. Latham. Buteo nisus, Fleming. Accipiter. Accipio-To take. Fringinarius. FringUla-X Finch. Take it for all in all, there is perhaps no bird of theHawk kind more daring and spirited than the one beforeus—next to the Kestrel, the most common of the Britishspecies of that tribe. It hunts in large woods, as well asin the open fields, and may frequently be seen sweepmg overhedges and ditches in every part of the country. In thewinter the males and females, like the chaffinches, appear toseparate: the motive is of course unknown. The Sparrow-Hawk is very numerous in various parts ofthe world J throughout Europe, from Eussia, Denmark, Sweden,and Norway, to Spain; in Africa, even as far as the Cape ofGood Hope; in Asia Minor and Japan; but does not occur,I believe, in America. It is numerous also in Ireland andS
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