migratory flocks. Its nest is stated to have been once found near Hackness, in Yorkshire, and also in
the neighbourhood o f BanlF (vide ‘ Ibis,’ 1865, p. 12).
Genus P e r n is .
O f this form there are two very distinct species—one, the P . apivorus, inhabiting Europe, and
the other the P . cristatus o f India. The natural food o f both, besides small quadrupeds, birds,
and garbage, is honey, bees and wasps, and their larvae.
11. P e r n is a p i v o r d s ....................................................................................................................... . , . Vol. I. PI. VIII.
H oney-bu z zard.
A summer visitant to us and to Central Europe, which, after breeding, migrates southwards to pass
the winter.
Subfamily ASTURINiE.
Genus A s t u b .
O f this form two species have been regarded as pertaining to the British fauna—namely, the Astur
palumbanus o f Europe, and the A . alricapillus o f America. In the present work only the former has
been figured.
12. A STUB PALUMBARIUS........................................................................................................................... j p j
G o sh awk.
Very generally dispersed over Europe, North Africa, India, and China; occasionally killed in Scotland,
where it sometimes breeds.
13. A s t u b a t r ic a p il l u s .
American Goshawk.
This American wanderer has certainly been killed a t least three times in the British Islands—once
in Scotland and twice in Ireland. Respecting the first of these examples, Mr. R. Gray, in his recently
published ■ Birds of the West o f Scotland,’ says:—
In May 1869, when visiting the town o f Brechin, in Forfarshire, I was fortunate in finding a very
handsome specimen of this Goshawk in the hands of a bird-stuffer there, who had obtained it a short
time previously from a keeper in Perthshire, along with a number of Snow-Buntings and other birds
shot by him on the flanks o f Schiehallion, and all recently skinned.”
The following notes respecting the second example were published by Sir Victor A. Brooke in ‘The
Ibis ’ for 1870. “ I have the pleasure of informing you of the occurrence in Ireland of Astur alrica-
piUus, an example o f which was shot in the Galtee Mountains in February last, and was at first
believed to be a commori Goshawk (A . palrnnbarius); hut having since had the opportunity o f examining
some specimens o f that species in Lord Lilford's collection, I immediately detected the difference
between them and the Galtee bird. Upon returning to Ireland, with the kind permission of Dr. Carte
I compared it with a specimen o f A . atricapillus in the Dublin Society’s collection, and cleared up any doubt
that remained on my mind, the closely set 'transverse bars, the longitudinal streaks (stronger and bolder
than in the European species), the general dusky appearance of the breast, and the dark slate-blue head
removing all question on the subject. The bird was a mature female, and weighed 3 lh. 7 o t.; the ovary
was somewhat enlarged; and the stomach contained the remains o f a rabbit.” Of the third example, all
that has been recorded is that it was shot shortly after the above, near Parsonstown, King’s County, and
was also a female.
A certain amount o f interest attaches to the occurrence of these Goshawks, inasmuch as it tends to
show how frequently American birds cross the Atlantic to our shores; but if all such visitants were to he
figured, how greatly extended would he the ‘ Birds o f Great Britain.
Subfamily ACCIPITRINiE.
Genus A c c ip it e r .
Of this genus only one species frequents the British Islands; but several others are found in Africa,
India, China, North and Sonth America. The whole of them are active, dashing birds, often flying near
the ground and suddenly surprising the smaller insessorial species, upon which they principally prey.
The sexes differ considerably in site, the males being mnch smaller than the females. A character by
which they are a t once distinguished from the Asturina, consists in the great length of their middle toes.
. Vol. I. PI. X.
14. A c c ip it e r n isu s .
S parrow-H awk.
A common, stationary species, breeding in all our counties.