“The goshawk is the scourge of pigeon-cotes, for which reason it is also called the pigeons’ falcon. It selects for itself a lofty perch on some tall tree and there keeps a watchful eye on the flocks of pigeons foraging in the fields. Woe betide the luckless one that forgets for a moment to be on its guard. The bird pounces upon it in oblique flight, almost skimming the surface of the ground, and in less than no time the pigeon is seized and carried off to some lonely rock, where the ravisher plucks its feathers and tears it to pieces while still warm. If the farmer is not on the lookout the goshawk attacks the poultry and does great harm. At the mere appearance of the bird’s shadow the rooster raises a cry of alarm and the little chickens hastily take refuge under their mother’s wing, while she, her feathers ruffled and her eyes blazing, sometimes succeeds in frightening off the enemy by her show of boldness. For lack of pigeons and barnyard fowls the goshawk hunts young hares, squirrels, and small birds, and in time of famine it will even eat moles and mice. Wooded mountains are its favorite abode, and it builds its nest in the tallest oaks and beeches. Its eggs, four or five in number, are slightly red or bluish and spotted with brown. “The common sparrow-hawk is about as large as a magpie. Its plumage somewhat resembles the goshawk’s, being ashy blue on the back and white underneath, with brown stripes running cross-wise. The throat and breast are reddish, and the tail is barred with six or seven dark bands. The legs and claws are of a beautiful yellow, and are long and slender. “The sparrow-hawk is a hunter of pigeons, which it tries to catch off guard by flying around the pigeon-cote and by watching from the concealment of some tree-top. The lark, the thrush, and the quail often fall into its clutches. Its flight is low and oblique like the goshawk’s, the wings of both being too short and too rounded at the tip to permit of lofty flight or sudden charges. The young, just out of the nest and as yet inexperienced in the cunning of the chase, are for a while trained by the parent birds for the career they are to follow; and indeed it is no rare occurrence to see the whole family hunting in company. The sparrow-hawk nests in tall trees and lays four or five white eggs ornamented with brown spots, which are larger and more numerous toward the big end of the egg. Both the goshawk and the sparrow-hawk, when they are attacked by an enemy stronger than themselves, do as the horned owl does: they lie on their backs and brandish their claws.