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OBSERVATIONS

UPON

H AW KING

SIR JOHN SAUNDERS SEBRIGHT, BART.,

M.P.

DESCRIBING THE MODE OF

f •

BREAKING AND MANAGING

THE SEVERAL KINDS OF

H A WKS USED IN FALCONRY.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. HARDING, 32, ST. JAMES'S STREET.

1826.

JO^.

fORDOfft
J. OBttRy LlIOItTtS •TSIBT, LRlCBtTIR IQVARI.

[Entered at Statumer/ HaU,]

JOHN DAWSON DOWNES, ESQ.

My Dear Sir,

This, little Work owes its existence
to you, and to you therefore I address it. But
for the instructions which you many years ago
so kindly gave me, I could not myself have
reclaimed and managed Hawks ; and without
this practical knowledge of the art, I should
not have presumed to offer these few pages
to the public

I am,

Dear Sir,
With great regard.
Your sincere and faithful Friend,

J. S, SEBRIGHT.

Beechwood, Feb. 20th, 1826.

OBSERVATIONS,

Sfc, 8fc.

HAWKING, the favourite diversion of our
ancestors, is now so fallen into disuse that the
Art of Falconry is in danger of being entirely
lost. Conceiving, however, in whateveHltti-
matiori we may hold it as an amusement, that
the method of reclaiming a wild bird must
always remain an object of curiosity, I have
been induced to commit to paper the following
observations on the subject :

They are the result, not only of my own
experience, but of what I have learnt from the

best Falconers of the old school, having had
abundant opportunities of acquiring informa-
tion from them.

The village of Falconswaerd, near Bois le
Due in Holland, haa for many years furnished
falconers to the rest of Europe. I have known
many iklconers in England, and in the service ,
of different princes on the Continent ; but I
never met with one of them who was not a
native of Falconswaerd.

It has been the practice of these sober
and industrious men to stay with their em-
plt^ers during tlie season for hawking, and
to pass the remtunder of the year with their
families at home.

John Pells, now in the service of ray
friend John Dawson Downes, Esq., of Old
Gunton Hill, Suffolk, and who also manages
the Heron Hawks, kept by subscription in
Norfolk, is (I believe) the only efficient fal-

concv by profession now remaining ; all the
others whom I remember are either dead or
worn out, and there has been no inducement
to younger men, to follow the employment
of their forefathers.

The slight falcon, (falca gentiUs) and
the Goshawk, (falco palumbarius) are the two
species generally used in falconry. The for-
mer is called a long-winged hawk, or one of
the lure ; the latter a short-winged hawk,
or one of the fist. All hawks, according to the
length of their wings, and to their mode of
Sight, belong to the one or to the other of these
two classes ; and as the mode of managing
the slight falcon and the goshawk will apply
to all of the class to which they each belong,
I shall but briefly mention the other kinds,
since they are but seldom used.

The slight falcon may either he taken
from the nest, (or eyerie, as it is called, (Vom
the German word for ege,) or may be caught

when it has attained its full growth. It is
then termed a passage hawk.

THE EYESS.

Slight falcons breed in cliffs, in several
parts of England ; but are more abundant in
Scotland, and in the northern regions.
V

The old birds, if not destroyed, return
every year to the same nest.

If the young birds are to be conveyed to
a distance, they should be taken from the
tiest before the feathers are enough grown to
-be in danger of being broken on the journey;
but when this is not the case, they should
be left with the old ones as long as possible.

They are at first to be put upon a little
clean straw, in a large hamper, firmly fixed
upon its side, about breast high, on the

brandies of a tree, in a retired situation. The
lid of the hamper may be so supported as to
serve as a sort of platform for the young birds
to come out upon, when they are fed.

All that is now required, is to shelter them
a little from the rain, and to feed them regu-
larly and plentifully twice a day with fresh
raw beef, from which the skin and fat have
been carefully removed. Pigeons, rooks, on
any other birds just killed, should be given to
tbem occasionally. No meat should be left
by them ; the basket is to be kept clean, and
the young birds are on no account to be
handled. By this treatment, they will soon
learn to know the voice or whistle of the
falconer.

There is frequently to be observed in the
plumage of birds of prey a detect, which goes
by the name of hunger-traces, owing to want
of food at some period during the growth of
the feathers.

Though the full grown falcon, when in
health, may bear without injury the long fasts
incident to birds of prey, the young eyesa
suffers like the young of all other animals,
from deficiency of nourishment, and the con-
sequence is principal^ discernible in the
feathers,

This defect, when strongly marked, may
be seen in some degree on every feather of
the body, but it is especially observable on the
expanded wing or tail, in a line crossing all the
feathers. On the shaft of each feather, the
mark may not only be seen but felt, as a ridge
slightly projecting. It may also be seen as a
line of imperfection across the web of every
feather, neatly marked as if a razor had been
lightly passed across the wing.

The injury from this cause is sometimes
such, as to occasion the feathers to break off
at the hunger-trace, and it is not improbable,
that the razor mark seen on the web, is in fact

ovFing to the breaking off of all the fine fibres
of the web in the line of the trace.

Young hawks should be plentifully fed,
for if they are left one day without food, the
hunger-traces will appear. Raw eggs should
be mixed with their food two or three times
in a week, as this additional nourishment
tends to make the feathers broad and strong.

The growth of the young birds is rapid,
they will noon perch on the branches of
trees, or the tops of buildings ; and as their
strength increases, will extend their flights to
a considerable distance ; but if care be taken
to feed them at the same place and at the
same hour, they will not fail to be regular in
their attendance at their meals.

The meat may either be cut into small
pieces and given to them on a plate, or in
large pieces, so fastened to the ground as to
prevent them from flying away with it ; and by

thus using them to feed near the falconer,
they will be less disposed to cany, i. e. to fly
away with the game; a fault to which all
hawks are more or less inclined, and which is
therefore to be guarded against by every pos-
sible precaution.

The longer they can be kept at hack, as
this state of liberty is called, the better will
they ultimately be ; but when they have
omitted to come for their food at the accus-
tomed hour, for two or three successive days,
it may be inferred that they have learnt to
prey for themselves ; and it will be necessary
to take them up, or they would in a short
time go away altogether.

They may be easily taken, by fastening a
piece of meat to the ground with a small
bow net, so arranged as to be drawn over
them when they are feeding ; or, one end of
a long string may be 6xed to the ground, and
a slip-knot so placed around the meat, as to

be drawn about their legs by the other; for
they will not easily be driven away, when
they cannot carry their food with them.

Small leaden bells arc sometimes at-
tached to hawk's legs, to prevent them from
preying for themselves ; by this management
they may be left at liberty, even after they
have been flown at game. When thus kept,
they are termed hack hawks.

It is now that the business of the fal-
coner may be said to begin.

A cap of leather, called a hood, is to be
put on the hawk's head the moment he is
taken. It is so constructed as to prevent
him from seeing, but to allow him to feed ;
and may be put on or taken off at pleasure :
but to hood a hawk, requires a degree of
manual dexterity that is not easily acquired.
I-
i< Slips of light leather, seven or eight

inches long, and a quarter of an inch wide^
are to be made fast to each of his leg8.
These are called^>Me*, and are to be fastened
to a small swivel, fixed to the end of a thong
of leather, three or four feet long, called a
leash, so as easily to be detached &om the
swivel when the hawk is required to fly.

The jesses always remain on his legs.
He is also to be equipped with two light
bells fastened to his legs by pieces of soft
leather; by the sound of which, when he
is lost, we may be assisted in recovering
him.

A hawk is never to be touched by the
hand, but when it is absolutely necessary;
but he must of course be held during these
operations — care being taken not to break his
feathers, or to do him any other injury.

A block of solid wood, in the form of a
truncated cone, one foot in height, eight or

nine inches in diameter at the top, and large
enough at the base not to be easily over-
turned, is the resting place of this hawk. A
small staple is driven into the top, and to this
he is to be tied with sufficient length of leash
to allow him to go from the block to the
ground at pleasure.

When he has been furnished with the
necessary appendages of hood, bells, jesses,
and leash, he is to be tied to the block, and
left quiet for some hours, that he may re-
cover from the alarm and fatigue that he has
undergone.

The block is always (unless when it
rains,) to stand in the open air in the day-
time but in a place well protected from the
wind,

The hawk must now be placed upon
the fist with his hood on.

He will at first bait, (flutter oiF) when

he is to be re-placed gently by the hand ;
but he will very soon learn to sit still. He
must be carried about on the fist during the
greater part of the day, and frequently
stroked with a feather on his back and
leg..

When he is to be fed, the hood must be
taken off. At first, this is best done at night,
with a candle so placed as to give no more
light than is absolutely necessary : but in
two or three days this precaution will not
be required, and he may be unhooded, and
fed by day-light.

He must now be brought by degrees to
stand quiet when the hood is to be put on.

The brail Is used for this purpose. This
is a thong of soft leather, with a sUt running
longitudinally along the middle, of such a
length as to admit the pinion joint.

When the pinion joint has been intro-

duced into the slit, the lower end of the thong
is brought backwards under the wing, and tied
to the other end above it.

The wing is thus confined, and in such
a way as to remove it but little from its
natural position, and so that it can receive no
injury.

Another very effectual way to make a
hawk stand quiet is, by causing water to stream
upon him, fi-om a whisp of hay or straw, until
he is thoroughly drenched ; this should always
be done in the morning, and he should be
carried on the fiat until he is dry, with his
wing brailed, be stroked with a feather, and
hooded and unhooded very frequently.

When he has become a little accustomed
to the hood, neither the brail nor the drench-
ing will be necessary, but he must be carried
almost all day upon the fist. The hood is to
be occasionally taken off, and he may then be

allowed for a short time to pull upon a stump
or pinion, from which he can get but little
meat.

A few mouthfuUs should always be given
to him the moment the hood is put on. , «

Hawks, when hooded, are always quiet.
In the field the hood prevents them from
bailing when birds rise, and at other times
from being alarmed at any thing that may
approach them.

It may, perhaps, appear paradoxical to
assert, that hawks, by being kept hooded, are
brought nearer to their natural habits, but
this is undoubtedly the case, tor by this treat-
ment they are induced to remain at rest when
they are not either feeding, or in pursuit of
game, and such are their habits in a wild state,
when left undisturbed.

^1 , When the hawk is become tolerably

tame, he may be unhooded ; and after liaving
eaten a few mouthfiiUs, be placed on the
block, and enticed to come from thence to the
fist when held near him. He will soon learn
to fly to it when it is presented to him at the
distance of several feet, the fist being of course
always well garnished with meat.

When he has been practised in this man-
ner for a few days, if he be unhooded on the
fist, and a small piece of meat be thrown on
the ground, to the distance of two or three
feet, he will fly down to it, and having eaten
it, fly back to the fist, enticed as usual by the
ofler of food.

It is hardly necessary to say, that a long
and light string, called a creance, must always
be tied to the leash when these lessons are
practised, and that the young hawk should be
brought to them so gradually, as not to risk a
failure, by which much time would be lost.

1()

l' The hawk is now to be taught to coine
to the lure ; it is a forked piece ol' wood,
covered with the wings of birds, and heavy
enough to prevent the hawk from flying away
with it. Pieces of meat are tied to each sidi-
of the lure, and it is attached to a string three
or four feet long, by which it may be swung
round in the air, or thrown to a distance.

The hawk is to be fed upon the lure,
being first made to come to it wlien held very
near him, then when held a little farther off ;
it is to be next thrown upon the ground to a
small distance, and thus he is to be brought
by degrees to fly to it, and to seize it eagerly,
however far it may be thrown.

An assistant is now to swing the lure at
some distance from the falconer, who casts oft'
the hawk.

It is to be thrown into the air when

tile hawk is flying towards it, but so that he
cannot attain it until it falls to the ground,
lest he should be hurt by striking it in his

flight.

When this lesson has been repeated,
until the hawk has become eager to take the
lure, the assistant is to swing it as before, but
is to take it into his hand when the hawk is
coming ; he is then to swing it again as soon
as the hawk has passed ; and finally, to throw
it upon the ground, when the hawk is return-
ing towards him.

In this way the hawk will soon be taught
to fly round the falconer, bending his flight
inwards when the lure is shewn to him, or
when he hears the call of the falconer, who
should always halloo when he is luring. He
may thus be made to follow the falconer
wherever he pleases ; diis is called watting on.

'"" When the hawk has alighted upon the

lur^ the faJconer is to walk rouud him,
whistle to him wiiileiie is feeding, and reward
him with a gcKid meal when he is taken up.

It is thus that hawks are made obedient
to the lure, and that they are exercised when
they cannot be flown at game, but they must
not be kept too long upon wing, or they
would acquire the habit of flying low ; and it
is the perfection of a slight falcon to soar as
high as possible.

It is now time to enter him to his game.
While the hawk is waiting on at a proper
height, his head being .tyraed inwards — a par-
tridge tied to a creancc is to be thrown up;
and when the hawk Jias taken it, he must
be allowed to eat it on the ground near the
fiilconer, who is to walk round him, and
whistle to him as -usual.

When this lesson has been repeated three
or four times, hj throwing up partridges not

con&ied by the crestnce, the Vacation of the
«yeii may be considered as completed ; and
he may be taken into the field to be used in
the way that I shall endeavour to describe ;
hut it will be necessary to give bira every
,<^f^tage it) his first flights, and to hove «
Jiive' pwtridge in the bag ready to beithrown
up to him, should he fail in has first attempte
to take his game.

iCt-.-MI. ■■ - ■ '■

:\; . - lihavc now described the mode of break-
■isig eyesses, as {jractbed by the falconers ; but
J, am^pf 'Opinion that it mLglrt be better done,
and with infinitely less trouble, by using the
young hawk when flying at hack, to feed al-

■. ..,.,M, --Jf iV. IH-il -1 i: ^:. ■!'-'-

He wouJd sQoa leami to fiy to it, when
SiWung ,rouwl in the air, and would thus be
j^ugbt to .wait on. '';n

The falconer should kneel down to the
hawk, when he is feeding on the lure, and
c 2

give him meat from the hand, by which means
he may not only be made tame, but may be
prevented from canying.

When the season for hawking is at hand,
a few hve partridges should be thrown up to
him, and he should be allowed to eat them
near the falconer. • T"

I have no doubt but by this treatment
a young hawk would be fit for use as soon
as he was taken up, and that nothing more
would be required than to accustom him to
stand to the hood. '"!•

If care be taken to feed young hawks as
soon as it is light in the morning, they may
be left long to &y at liberty before they will
prey for themselves ; for they have no incli-
nation to pursue game, when they are not
impelled to it by hunger.

Uwt VII I

PARTRIDGE HAWKING.

An open country is required for this sport.
The falconers must be on horseback, provided
with a steady pointei and one or two spaniels,
under good command.

When a partridge is marked down, or
pointed by the dog, the hawk is to be un-
hooded and cast off. He will fly round the
falconer, and if a good bird, mount to a con-
siderable height — the higher the better.

If he ranges to too great a distance, he
may be made to incline inwards by the voice
of the falconer, and by the lure ; but these
should be used with discretion : for it is much
better that a flight should occasionally be lost
from a hawk's ranging too far, than that his

pitch should be lowered (as is often the case)
by too much luring. This, and the not giv-
ing the hawk ti^le to mount before the game
is sprung, are very common faults in the ma-
nagement of slight falcons.
-h

It is by no meaois nef:essary that the hawk
ahould be very near the birds when they riisci
If he be within two oi* three hundred yards
of them, it will be near enough, provided that
his pitch be Hgh,- and tbirt^ his headibt tUmed
towards thdnil '/t-.l -.i' .--.I, . [» M l»»Uw>q

High ranging pointers are by &r tlie beat
for this sport, for the birds will ofteii tie to
a dog, when they will not suffer horsemen
to approach them.

When the dog points at a distance^ the
hawk i^ ^o be cast off, as it will both prevent
the birds irom rising, and give him time to
mount. '•> Ml vnt 3111^10 fl'jivMll « lUQiA

When the partridge rises, the hawk wiH
dart down to it with wonderful velocity, and
either take it in the first flight, or force
it to take refuge in a bush or hedge. In the
latter case the hawk will mate his point — that
is, rise perpendicularly in the air over the spot
where the bird got into cover.
Ml

" The falconer is now to attend solely to
his hawk, and leave it to- others to assist the
dog in springing the bird.

The hawfc should wait on at a moderate
distance, bat his flight should not be lowered
hy an injudicious use of the lure.

■• When the hawk has taken the partridge,
the falconer akHMi is to approach him, at ii««
walking round him at a distance, with the
greatest circumspection, and drawing nea* him
by degrees, as he seems disposed to bear it.
At length, by kneeling dmvn, whistling as at
the time of feeding, the arm may be extended

gently, (for all sudden motions are to be
avoided) .and by taking hold of the partridge,
which the hawk will certainly not quit, he
may be placed on the fiat, still grasping liis
prey in his talons.

The hawk is then to be hooded, after
having been rewarded with the head of the
partridge, or if not required to fly again, he
should be immediately fed.

If a young hawk does not take the bird
in his first flight, and if it cannot be retrieved
in a short time after he has pul il in (driven
it into cover), a live partridge from the bag
should be thrown up to him ; and if it be
the first bird that he has taken, he should be
allowed to eat it near the falconer. Nothing
is so likely to prevent him from carrywg as
this treatment ; for this very troublesome fault
does not arise (as some suppose) from the
wildness of the hawk, but from his dread of
being deprived of his prey.

'■: In the latter part of the season, when the
birds are too wild to he to the dog, the com-
pany may draw up in Hne at the distance of
fifty or sixty yards from each other, and gallop
fiCTDSs a plain with a hawk upon wing.
it

u The falconer should be placed in the cen-
tre of the line, that he may regulate the pace
by the situation of the hawk. The best sport
that I have ever seen in partridge hawking
was obtained in this manner, when the face
of the country was so bare, and the birds
so wild, as to make it impossible to approach
them in the usual way.

When the birds will not lie to the dog,
the hawk is sometimes unhooded, and cast
off the moment that they rise. This is tech-
nically caUt^d Jli/irig out of ike hood.

The first flight procured in this way af-
fords but little sport ; but if the bird \s pat in,
the second may be in the right style, a:" the

hawk will then have time to get up to bis
pitch. 'i><l

As the partridge always flies in a straight
Hne, and docs not shift to evade his pursuor,
the perfection of this sport is, for the hawk
to wait on at a great height, and to come
down almost perpendicularly to strike his prey.

''v MAGPIE HAWKING.

*• ■

il Magpies may be flown with eyess sli^t
falcons, and afford excellent sport.

A down or common, where low trees or
thorn bushes are dispersed at the distance of
from thirty to fifty yards apart, is the place
best calculated tor this diversion.

' When a magpie is seen at a distance, a
hawk is immediately to be cast off. The
magpie will take refuge in a bush the moment

•27

that he sees the falcon, aad wiU remain there
antil the falconer arrives, with the hawk wait-
ing on in the air. The magpie is to be drivea
from hia retreat, and the hawk, if at a good
pitch, will stoop at him as he passes to ano-
ther bush, front whence he is to be, driven,
in. the same way> anothur Liawk having been
ppevioualy oast «ff, so that one ©r the other
may , always be so situated as ta attack bijb
to advantage. ', •jihitifi-it

The tecond hawk is necessary, for the
magpie sbilts \vith great cunning and dex-^
terity to avoid the stoop ; and when hard
pressed, owing to the bushes being rather far
apart, will pass under the bellies of the horses,
flutter along a cart rut, and avail himself of
every little iaequality of the ground in order
t^ escape,
(l-..-

,; ,, Four or five assistants, besides the fal-
coner, (who should attend, solely to his '
hawks) are required for this sport, lliey

should be well mounted, and provided with
whips ; for the magpie cannot be driven
from a bush by a stick ; but the crack of a,
whip will force him to leave it, even when he
is so tired as hardly to be able to fly. No-
thing can be more animating than this sport :
it is, in my opinion, far superior to every
other kind of hawking. The object of the
chace is fully a match for its pursuers — a
requisite absolutely necessary to give an in-
terest to any sport of this kind ; and it has
the advantage of giving fiill employment to
the company, which is not the case in par-
tridge-hawking.

The magpie will always endeavour to
make his way to some strong cover; care,
therefore, must be taken to counteract him,
and to drive him to that part of the ground
where the bushes are farthest from each
other. It is not easy to take a magpie in a
hedge. Some of the horsemen must be on
each side of it ; some must ride behind, and

2f)

some before him ; for, unless compelled to
rise, by being surrounded on all sides, he will
flutter along the hedge, so as to shelter him-
self from the stoop of the falcon. Many
requisites are necessary to afford this sport
in perfection — a favourable country, good
hawks, and able assistants.

i.J. ■'-

»|/. HAWKING OF ROOKS WITH

'■■■' EYESSES.

As slight falcons are not bred in the
neighbourhood of Falconswaerd, many of
the falconers have had no experience with
eyesses, and arc of opinion that they cannot
be made to fly rooks ; but I have proved the
contrary by my own practice. , ,^

From eyesses that have been confined
to the block from an early age, much exer-
tion cannot be expected ; but I have had
falcons that had flown long at hackj and

preyed frequently for tlicraselves before thf^'
were taken up, that flew rooks in the highest
perfection ; and although I do not know that
any eyesses have been flown at herone, I
have no doubt but that some of the best of
them would be fiiliy equal to tiie passage-
hawks for that purpose. This peculiar ad-
vantage attends the use of eyesses, that they
may be flown when in high condition ;
wben^as the falconers arc -oMjgad ''fo Keep
the passage-hawks ;seHi$what low, from the
fear of losing them.

The females of almost eveiy kind 'df
hawk are considerably larger than the 'males.
In "the language of falconry, the former arc
called /afcoTiS, and the latter tchceb: 'These
terras are applied to almost' every species of
hawk. It is to be regretted that this lan-
■guage should prevail, as it has led to many
mistakes.

1,..; , ■ ■

''"' Theterm falcon should beappiied^^ffir-

celleme, to the/a/co gentilis — adiBtinctionthat
he is well entitled to, by reason of his su-
perior qualities as a bird of chase.

PASSAGE HAWKS. "

The slight falcons that arc brought to
this country in the spring, to be used in
flying herons, arc caught in the precedrpg
autumn and winter, on the heaths near ^al-
conswacrd, as they pass towards the *pHth
and east.

These hawks are taken, by placing, in a
favourable situationj a small bow-net, so ar-
ranged as to be drawn over quickly by fi long
string that is attached to it. A pigeon of a
light colour is tied to the ground as a bait ;
and the felconer ia concealed, at a convenient
distance;, in a hut made of turf, to wh}ch the
string reaches.

4
I

A Butcher Bird, called by Linnaeus, La-
mus Excubitor i that ii, thu Warder Butcher
Bird, from the look-out that he keeps for the
falcon, is tied on the ground near the hut ;
and two pieces of turf are so set up as to
serve him, as well for a place of shelter from
the weather, as of retreat from the falcon.
The falconer employs himself in some seden-
tary occupation, relying upon the vigilance of
the butcher-bird, to warn him of the approach
of a hawk. This he never fails to do, by
screaming loudly when he perceives his
enemy at a distance, and by running under
the turf when the hawk draws near. The
falconer is thus prepared to pull the net, the
moment that the falcon has pounced upon the
pigeon. The young hawks of the year are
called red hawks, from the colour of their
plumage. The older hawks are called hag-
gards : it is these that ornithologists have
mistaken for a distinct species, calling it the
Per^rine Falcon. These certainly diCFer very
much from the young birds, in the colcftte' bf

their plumage. Their feathers assume a blue
or alatc colour, and become lighter at every
succeeding moult ; and what is more remark-
able, the bars on the breast-feathers of the red
hawk are longitudinal, and those of the hag-
gard are transverse. The same change takes
place in the feathers of many other hawks.
. These changes are quite notorious to fal-
coners, who have all had occasicin to see the
same individual hawks, at different periods of
their lives, in the two different states that
I have described.

It is to the old hawk, when found in
the wild state only, that the term hag-
gard is applied : those that have been mewed
(moulted) in a state of captivity, are called
intermewed hawks. -J*!

I have used the term slight falcon for
t\ie /ako gcTiliiii; because it is so called by
the. falconers ; but from the habits of these
birds, perhaps the term falco peregrinus

would be the most appropriate to the spe-
cies.

Slight falcons take up their abode every
year, from October or November, until the
spring, upon Westminster Abbey, and upon
other churches in the metropolis : this is
well known to the London pigeon-fanciers,
from the great havoc they make in their
flights.

The mode of managing the passage-
hawk, after he is caught, is very similar to
that which Z have described in speaking of
the eyess, when first taken in hand ; but as
the former has been longer at large, he is, of
course, more difficult to reclaim : but on the
other hand, from having been accustomed to
prey for himself, he will in general fly boldly
*t his game, which is not always the case
with the eyess.

It may appear, to tliose who are unac-

quainted with falconry, that the difficulty of
the art consists in taming the hawk ; but this
is by no means the case: for it is very easy
to tame him, but very difficult to make him
fly.

A rafter hood is put upon the hawk the
moment he is taken. It is hghter than the
common one ; but from its being inconve-
nient for hooding and unhooding, is never
used but for birds lately taken, or in the act
of travelling.

The extreme points of the beak and
talons are to be taken offj and jesses, leash,
and bells are to be put on, as has been al-
ready directed for the eyess. The passage-
hawk, when first taken, must be carried all
day upon the fist, and fed at night by candle-
light. , '>(i_

By constant carriage, not only by day,
but also (should it be found necessary) during

ha.wk will then have time to get up (o his
pitch.

Aft the partridge always flies in a straight
line, and does not shift to evade his pursuer,
the perfection of this sport is, for the hawk
to wait on at a great height, and to come
down almost Jjerpendicularly to strike his prey.

'. MAGPIE HAWKING,

1 1 Magpies may be flown with eyess slight
falcons, and afford excellent sport.

A down or common, where low trees or
thorn bushes are dispersed at the distance of
from thirty to fifty yards apart, is the place
best calculated for this diversion.

When a magpie is seen at a distance, a
hawk is immediately to be cast off. The
magpie will take refuge in a bush the moment

•27

that he sees the falcon^ and wiU remain there
until the falconer arrives, with the hawk wwt-
iog on in the air. The magpie is to be driven
from hi& retreat, and the hawk, if at a good
pitch, will atoop at him as he passes to ano-
ther bush, from whence he is to be driven
in th£ same way^ aootlier hawk Itaving been
previously oast Off, sq that one or the other
may always be so situated as td attack bim
to advantage. '■, T>)riir'H|>-ii

The Second hawk is necessary, for the
nMSpie shifts with great canning and dex-
terity to avoid the stoop ; and when hard
pressed, owing to the bushes being rather far
apart, will paes under the bellies of the horses,
flutter along a cart rut, and avail himself of
cveiy littli) iaequahty of tho ground in order
to escape.
ih-

,; ,, Four or five assistants, besides the fal-
coner, {who should attend, solely to his
hawks) are required for this sport. 'Shcy

should be well mounted, and provided with
whips ! for the magpie cannot be driven
from a bush by a stick ; but the crack of a,
whip will force him to leave it, even when he
is so tired as hardly to be able to fly. No-
thing can be more animating than this sport :
it is, in my opinion, far superior to every
other kind of hawking. The object of the
chace is fully a match for its pursuers — a
requisite absolutely necessary to give an in-
terest to any sport of this kind ; and it has
the advantage of giving full employment to
the company, which is not the case in par-
tridge-hawking.

The magpie will always endeavour to
make his way to some strong cover ; care,
therefore, must be taken to counteract him,
and to drive him to that part of the ground
where the bushes are farthest from each
other. It is not easy to take a magpie in a
hedge. Some of the horsemen must be on
each side of it ; some must ride behind, and

some before him ; for, unless compelled to
rise, by being surrounded on all sides, he will
flutter along the hedge, so as to shelter him-
self from the stoop of the falcon. Many
requisites are necessary to aflbrd this sport
in perfection — a favourable country, good
hawks, and able assistants.

4'^. ■.,!,¥

i" .1.

4 HAWKING OF ROOKS WITH
• EYESSES.

As slight falcons are not bred in the
neighbourhood of Falconswaerd, many of
the falconers have had no experience with
eyesses, and are of opinion that they cannot
be made to fly rooks ; but I have proved the
contrary by my own practice. ,^

From eyesses that have been confined
to the block from an early age, much exer-
tion cannot be expected; but I have had
falcons that had flown long at hack, and

preyed frequently for themselves before th^'
were taken up, that flew rooks in the highest
perfection ; and although I do not know that
any eyesses have been flown at herona, I
liave no doubt but that some of the best of
them would be fully equal to the passage-
hav^ks for that purpose. This peculiar ad-
vantage attends the use of eyesses, that they
may be flown when in high condition ;
wheneas the falconers are <»b4igad to keep
the passage-hawks ^seweivhat low, from the
fear of losing them.

The females of almost every kind of
hawk are considerably larger than the males.
In -the language of falconry, the' former are
called y«fconJ, and the lattet teircels. 'These
terms are applied to ahnost every species of
hawk. It is to be regretted that this lan-
goage should prevail, as it ^ae .ied^to imany
mistakiis; ■''■■' ■'■' ' i*' ''-^^ "•

li I » li ^^iterm falcon should be apptied, ^wr«ir-

ceUence, to the/alco gcntilti — a distinction that
he is well entitled to, by reaBon of his su-
perior qualities as a bird of chase. . . i

in
PASSAGE HAWKS. "

The slight falcons that are brought to
this country in the spring, to -be used in
flying herons, are caught in the preceding
autumn and winter, on the heaths near ^al-
conswaerd, as they pass towards the isp^t^
and east. ,,(j

These hawks are taken, by placing, in a
^vourable situation, a small bow-net, so ar-
.ranged as to be drawn over quickly by a long
string that is attached to it. A pigeon of a
light colour is tied to the ground as a bait;
and the felconer is concealed, at a convenient
distance, in a hut made of turf, to which the
String reaches.

A Butcher Bird, called by Linnieus, La-
tiius E^'cubitor ; that is, the Warder Butcher
Bird, from the look-out that he keeps for the
falcon, is tied on tlie ground near the hut ;
and two pieces of turf are so set up as to
serve him, as well for a place of shelter from
the weather, as of retreat fi-om the falcon.
The falconer employs himself in some seden-
tary occupation, relying upon the vigilance of
the butcher-bird, to warn him of the approach
of a hawk. This he never fails to do, by
screaming loudly when he perceives his
enemy at a distance, and by running under
the turf when the hawk draws near. The
falconer is thus prepared to pull the net, the
moment that the falcon has pounced upon the
pigeon. The young hawks of the year are
called red hawks, from the colour of their
plumage. The older hawks are called hag-
gards : it is these that ornithologists have
mistaken for a distinct species, caUing it the
Peregrine Falcon. These certainly differ very
mucli from the young birds, in the colour' of

.1-J

their plumage. TKeir feathers assume a blue
or slate colour, and become lighter at every
succeeding moult ; and what is more remark-
able, the bars on the breast-feathers of the red
hawk are longitudinal, and those of the hag-
gard are transverse. The same change takes
place in the feathers of many other liawkd.
These changes are quite notoriouA to fal-
coners, who have all had occasion to h-c the
same individual hawks, at ditfereiit |>eriodH of
their lives, in the two diSerent state* that
I have described.

It is to the old hawk, when found in
the wild state only, ttiat the tcnii liag-
gard is appUed: thow: that have l«Mrn iiipwed
(moulted) in a etate of captivity, are called
intermewed hawks. "•

I have used the tenn sUght falcon for
%!i\e. fako geidilh, because it is so called by
the. falconers ; but from the habits 'jf these
bird*, perhaps the term faito peregrittwi

would he the most appropriate to the spe-
cies.

Slight falcons take up their abode «very
year, from October or November, until the
spring, upon Westminster Abbey, and upon
other churches in the metropolis : this is
well known to the London pigeon-fanciers,
from the great havoc they make in their
flights.

The mode of managing the passage-
hawk, after he is caught, is very similar to
that v^liich I have described in speaking of
the eyess, when first taken in hand ; but as
the former has been longer at large, he is, of
course, more difficult to reclaim : but on the
other hand, from having been accustomed to
prey for himself, he will in general fly boldly
at bis game, which is not always the case
with the eyess.

vi It may appear, to those who are uoac-

quainted with falconry, that the difficulty of
the art consists in taming the hawk ; but this
is by no means the case : for it is very easy
to tame him, but very difficult to make him
«y.

A rafter hood is put upon the hawk the
moment he is taken. It is lighter than the
common one ; but from its being inconve-
nient for hooding and unhooding, is never
used but for birds lately taken, or in the act
of travelling.

The extreme points of the beak and
talons are to be taken of^ and jesses, leasli,
and bells are to be put on, aa has been al-
ready directed for the cyess. The passage-
hawk, when first taken, must be carried all
day upon the fist, and fed at night by candle-
light. i.'H

By constant carriage, not only by day,
but also (should it be found necessary) during

3fi

a part of the night, and by frequent brushing
with a feather, he will at length learn to feed
freely on the fiat by daylight ; and he must
then be brought by degrees to stand quiet
when the hood is to be put on. I have fully
described Ijow this is to be done, in speaking
^of tiie eyess.

The hawk is not to be fed, while he is
thus making to the hood; but a small piece
of meat should always be given to him afler
the hood is put on.

The passage-hawk is to be trained to the
lure in the way that I have described in treat-
ing of the eyess ; but it is enough if these
hawks will fly to it when swung round at a
distance : it would be very difficult to teach
them to wait on, nor is it necessary, for the
purposes to which they are applied. They
are always taken dinun after having flown
unsuccessfully at their game, not by the lure,
but by a live pigeon tied to a string.

When the hawk has leamt to come" well
to the lure, a hve pigeon is to be given to
him from the hand ; one is then to be thrown
up to him in a creance ; and if he behaves
well in these trials, he may be trusted at
large, to fly a pigeon whose flight has been
shortened.

In the same way he is to be brought to
fly a heron. First, one is "to be given to him
from the hand ; next, one in a creance ; and,
lastly, one at large with its flight shortened.
These are, in fact, the regular gradations by
which all hawks are brought to fly at the
game for which they are intended. It is
hardly necessary to say, that the hawk should
be well rewarded after each of these lessons.

Some hawks will not attack a heron,
when it is first shewn to them ; but they may
generally be brought to it by flying them at a
cock, of a light colour, and by tying meat upon
a heron's back, and allowing them to feed

preyed frequently for theraselvcs before they
were taken up, that flew rooks in the highest
perfection ; and although I do not know that
any eyesses have been flown at herons, I
have no doubt but that some of the best of
them would be fiiUy equal to the passage-
hawks for that purpose. This peculiar ad-
vantage attends the use of eyesses, that they
may be flown when in high condition ;
whereas tlte fabouers arc -oUijol .'fo Keep
the passage-hawks somfewhat low, from the
fear of losing them.

The fematcs of almost erery kind of
hawk are considerably larger than the males.
In the language of falconry, the former arc
cailed /(rfconj, and the latter teircels. 'Thesfe
terms are applied to ahriost' every species of
hawk. It is to be regretted that this lan-
■guage should prevail, as it hw .ted"tB 'many
mistakes. -'''' -■^ ' ''' ''■' ■

liii . Ttfetermfalcon should be appti€d,j»(W«a»-

ceUence, to the fa/co gcntiiu — a distinction that
he is well entitled to, by reason of his su-
.jterior qualities as a bird of chase.

PASSAGE HAWKS.

The slight falcons that arc brought to
this country in the spring, to be used in
flying herons, are caught in the preceding
autumn and winter, on the heaths near Pai-
conswaerd, as they pass towards the >sptft|i
and east. ,|^

These hawks are taken, by placing, in a
favourable situation, a sm,all bow-net, so ar-
ranged as to be drawn over quickly by a long
string that is attached to it. A pigeon of a
light colour is tied to the ground as a bait;
and the felconer .ie cpncealed, at a CMivenient
distance, in a hut made of turf, to which the
string ivaphes.

A Butcher Bird, called by LiniiEeus, ha-
mtis £^,rcw6i7or ; that is, the Warder Butcher
Bird, from the look-out that iie keeps for the
fiilcon, is tied on the ground near the hut ;
and two pieces of turf are so set up as to
serve him, as well for a place of shelter from
the weather, as of retreat from the falcon.
The falconer employs himself in some seden-
tary occupation, relying upon the vigilance of
the butcher-bird, to warn him of the approach
of a hawk. This he never fails to do, by
screaming loudly when he perceives his
enemy at a distance, and by running under
the turf when the hawk draws near. The
falconer is thus prepared to pull the net, the
moment that the falcon has pounced upon the
pigeon. The young hawks of the year are
called red hawks, from the colour of their
plumage. The older hawks are called hag-
gards : it is these that ornithologists haVe
mistaken for a distinct species, calHng it the
Peregrine Falcon. These certainly differ very
much from the young birds, in the colouf of

HAWKING OF ROOKS WITH

EYESSES.

As slight falcons are not bred in the
neighbourhood of Falconswaerd, many of
the falconers have had no experience with
cyesses, and are of opinion that they cannot
be made to fly rooks ; but I have proved the
contrary by my own practice. ^ .

..-.1
From eyesses that have been confined
to the block from an early age, much exer-
tion cannot be expected ; but I have had
falcons that had flown long at hack, and

would be the mc»t appropriate to the spe-
cies.

Slight falcons take up their abode «vcry
year, from October or November, until the
spring, upon Westminster Abbey, and upon
other churches in the metropohs : this is
well known to the London pigeon-fanciers,
from the great havoc they make in their
flights.

Tile mode of managing the passage-
hawk, after he is caught, is very similar to
that which I have described in speaking of
the eyess, when first taken in hand ; but as
the former has been longer at large, he is, of
course, more difficult to reclaim : but on the
other hand, from having been accustomed to
prey for himself, he will in general fly boldly
at his game, which is not always the case
with the eyess.

It may appear, to thoae who are unac-

quainted with falconry, that the difficulty
the art consists in taming the hawk ; but this
is by no means the case : for it is very easy
to tame him, but very diffieuU to make him
fly.

A mfter hood is put upon the hawk the
moment he is taken. It is Hghter than the
common one ; but from its being inconve-
nient for hooding and unhooding, is never
used but for birds lately taken, or in the act
of travelling.

The extreme points of the beak and
talons are to be taken off^ and jesses, leaah,
and bells are to be put on, as has been al-
ready directed for the eyess. The passage-
hawk, when first taken, must be carried all
day upon the flst, and fed at night by candle-
light -I

By constant carriage, not only by day,
but also (should it be found necessary) during
d2

Ity of ^^

A Butcher Bird, called by Liniiasus, /.«-
nius ExcubilOT ; that is, the Warder Butcher
Bird, from the look-out that he keeps for the
falcorij is tied on tlie ground near the hut ;
and two pieces of turf are so set up as to
serve him, as well for a place of shelter from
the weather, as of retreat from the falcon.
The falconer employs himself in some seden-
tary occupation, relying upon the vigilance of
the butcher-bird, to warn him of the approach
of a hawk. This he never fails to do, by
screaming loudly when he perceives his
enemy at a distance, and by running under
the turf when the hawk draws near. The
falconer is thus prepared to pull the net, the
moment that the falcon has pounced upon the
pigeon. The young hawks of the year are
called red hawks, from the colour of their
plumage. The older hawks are called hag-
gards : it 19 these that ornithologists have
mistaken for a distinct species, caUing it the
Peregrine Falcon. These certainly differ very
much from the young birds, in the colo'ti*' bf

neighbourhood of Alconbury Hill. They are
abundant in open countries. A great owl,
(striae bilbo) to the leg of which the falconers
usually tie a fox's brush, not only to impede
its flight, but to make it (as they fancy) more
attractive, is thrown up to draw down the
kite.

Tlic Icelander and the gyrfalcon are
managed very much in the same way as the
slight falcon, as arc also the two following
species, with which I shall conclude my ob-
servations upon long-winged hawks.
b,

The merlin and the hobby both breed in
England ; they are very small, but rapid in
their flight. They may be made to tvait on ;
the merlin will take blackbirds or thrushes ;
the hobby small birds, if thrown up from the
hand ; but they are neither of them strong
enough to be efficient in the field.

^^^ Much is said of the lanner and the Ian-

would be the most appropriate to the spe-
cies.

It may appear, to those who are uuac-

quainted with talconryj that the difficulty of
the art consists in taming the hawk ; but this
is by no means the case : for it is very easy
to tame him, but very difficult to make him
fly.

A rufter hood is put upon the hawk the
moment he is taken. It is lighter than the
common one ; but from its being inconve-
nient for hooding and uiihooding, is never
used but for birds lately taken, or in the act
of travelling.

The extreme points of the beak and
talons are to be taken otF, and jesses, leash,
and bells are to be put on, as has been al-
ready directed for the eyess. The passage-
hawk, when first taken, must be carried all
day upon the fist, and fed at night by candle-
light , ..|

By constant carnage, not only by day,
but also (should it be found necessary) during

and a half in diameter, fixed liorizontatly about
four feet from the ground. It is to be placed
" » under a tree in fine weather, and in some

sheltered place when it rains. To the perch
is suspended a piece of cloth, or of matting,
hanging like a curtain, which assists the hawk
in regaining the perch when he has baited off,
and prevents him from twisting the Icash
round it by passing under. The swivel that
is fixed to the leash is to be tied close to the
top of the perch, and is attached to the jesses
by a short leash, six or eight inches long, in
such a manner as to be easily taken off, when
the hawk is to be prepared for flying. He is
then to be held on the fist by the jesses, in
the same way as the slight falcon.

As the goshawk is carried without a hood,
and as he is not to be brought down by the
lure, but must come to the fist at the falconer's
call, it is essential that he should be made as
tame as possible, and this can only be done by
almost constant carriage, and by allowing

liim frequently to pull upon a stump or pinion,
from which he can get but Uttle meat. He will
soon learn to c6me from the perch to the fist,
if held close to him when allured by meat.
By persevering in this practice, and by cau-
tiously increasing the distance, he will at
length be brought to come to the fist, when
he is thirty or forty yards off. It is hardly
necessary to say, that a ereance must always
be attached to the leash when these lessons
are given, until the hawk is sufficiently re-
claimed to be trusted at large, and with this
precaution too much must not be required of
him at a time. In breaking hawks, and all
other animals, much additional trouble is oc-
casioned, and much time is lost in endeavour-
ing to get them on too fast. When the gos-
hawk will come freely to the fist, not only
from the perch, but from the ground, and
from low trees ou which he should frequently
be placed, it will only be necessary to give him
a few live partridges in the way that I have
described, and he will be ready for the field.

PARTRIDGE HAWKING.

That the goshawk should have been
highly valued before it was the practice to
shoot flying, I can readily conceive : for he
will not only take a great deal of game, but
may be flown in the most inclosed country, or
even in a wood. But I must be allowed to
express my surprise that any on? should use
these birds for sport.

When a covey rises, if the birds are very
young, the goshawk may possibly take one at
the first flight ; but if the partridges are toler-
ably strong, that is, what a sportsman would
call fit to kill, they will fly at least twice
~ as fast as this hawk.

He follows the covey at a distance, flying
low, and in the manner of an owl. When
the partridges take refuge iu a hedge, (for

these hawks are too slow for an open country)
the goshawk marks the spot with the greatest
precision ; and after having made his point, by
rising perpendicularly in the air, he takes his
stand upon a neighbouring tree. If his situa-
tion be favourable, he is allowed to retain it,
or otherwise he is called down to the fist.
In either case the birds are to be driven out,
and he either takes one at this their second
flight, or again drives them into a hedge, and
takes his stand as before,

A groat many partridges may be killed
bj/ the meaiis of the goshawk, in the beginning
of the season, when the birds are young, and
particularly in a Acv/y morning, as their wings
becoming wet from their having been driven
into the hedges, they will be easily taken by
the dogs. In fact, not one in ten of the par-
tridges brought home by those who use these
birds, has been actually taken by the hawk.

The goshawk will take landrails and
k2

pheasants ; but if much used to these easier
flights, will not even attempt to fly partridges.
Indeed, the goshawk is so slack mettled, that
it requires the most skilful management to
make him fly at all. The veiy worst of them
will take rabbits ; and this is, in my opinion,
the best use to which they can be applied.

THE SPARROW HAWK.

(Falco Nisus.)

The sparrow-hawk is like the goshawk,
but in miniature ; and he is to be managed
exactly in the same way. His flight is rapid
for a short distance ; he will take partridges
at the beginning of the season, and is the best
of all the hawks for landrails.

I once took a wild partridge with a spar-
row-hawk of my own breaking, ten days
after he had been taken wild from a wood.

These hawks must be kept in high condition,
and cannot fly when there is the least wind ;
they are upon the whole more difficult to
manage than stronger birds. ,

ON FEEDING.

Hawks are not susceptible of attachment
to their keeper ; nor do they, like the dog,
pursue game for the pleasure of the sport.
Hunger is in them the only inducement to
action ; and in a wild, as in a domestic state,
they remain almost motionless when their
hunger is satisfied. It is, therefore, by this
appetite alone that hawks can be governed — ■
it is the bridle that restrains them, and the
spur that urges them to exertion ; and it is,
therefore, on the right management of this
primum mobile, that the success of the falconer
must principally depend.

The health of the hawk is the first thing

to be attended to ; for if he be not in full
vigour, very little can of course be expected
from him. I have already said, that fresh
raw beef is the best food for hawks. It would
be impossible to lay down rules for the quan-
tity of food that is to be given to them, as it
must depend upon the condition and beha-
viour of each individual bird, and will, of
course, vary from day to day j but the average
is about one-third of a pound of beef a day
for a slight falcon, and for other hawks in
proportion.

All hawks, to be kept in health, should
have A gorge i that is, an abundant meal once
in four or five days, and a moderate meal on
each of the intervening days. It is easy to
judge of the condition of a hawk by his
weight, or by feeling the sides of his breast.
Some hawks fly best when they are in high
condition, and others when they are some-
what lower. When, therefore, it has been
ascertained in what state uf flesh any parti-

cular hawk flies best, his food should be re-
gulated accordingly — it being always borne
in mindj that it is far better that a hawk
should be too high in keeping than too
low. When it is found necessary to lower
the condition of a hawk, his food may be
considerably reduced for a day or two ; but
the gorge every four or five days must on no
account be omitted.

This mode of treatment that has been
adopted by the falconers, from long expe-
rience, and appears to be consistent with the
habits of birds of prey in a state of nature ;
foF in rainy or windy weather, or where game
ig scarce, they must frequently pass whole
days without food ; and when they do obtain
it, they will, of course, satisfy their voracious
appetites by eating to excess.

Hawks that are breaking must always be
fed in the evening ; for it would be in vain to

K '^"p*

expect them to come either to the tist or to
the lure, when they are not hungry : and,
beBides, nothing ia so contrary to the nature
of these birds as to 6aii and struggle, when
their stomachs are full : they should, there-
fore, be kept as quiet as possible after they
have been fed.

The less a hawk is reclaimed, the sharper
must he be set when any thing is required of
him. This applies equally to luring, train-
ing, coming to the fist, , and to flying at
game.

u . Hawks that want mettle must always be
flown with a keen appetite ; but excess of
hunger would not only be injurious to their
health, but it would make them hover about
the falconer for food, and be regardless of the
game. There is, perhaps, no time at which a
hawk's appetite is in so perfect a state, for
any thing that may be required of him, as

•57
about one hour after his usual time of feed-
ing, and when he has had rather a scanty
meal on the preceding day.
11

• * I will suppose that hawks are to fly three
days in the week, and endeavour to describe
how they should be fed. It may, perhaps,
serve as a sort of outline for the young fal-
coner. The rest must depend upon his own
judgment and discretion.

Hawks should have a slight meal on the
day before flying ; it should be more or less,
according to the condition and behaviour of
each particular bird. They should have a
plentiful meal on the days that they have-
flown ; and two whole days (on which they
should be moderately fed,) ought to inter-
venfe between that on which they have a
gorge, and the day of flying. It is better not
to fly hawks on two successive days : it may
always, however, be done occasionally. They

should be fed in the field the moment they
have done flying.

Hawks, (and probably moat, if not all
other birds of prey) from fiseding on birds
and animals with their coats on, and thus
swallowing a quantity of indigestible matter,
relieve themselves by throwing it up in the
form of castings, which are oblong balls,
consisting of the hair or feathers forcibly
compressed together. The condition of the
hawk may be judged of by the appearance
and state of cohesion of this mass ; for when
the bird is not in health, and the process of
digestion not complete, the feathers, instead
of being simply pressed into a ball, arc held
together by a tenacious mucus, and mixed
with particles of undigested meat. When
hawks are fed solely on beef, the skin of a
bird with the feathers on, or that of an animal
with the fiir, should be given to them twice a
week. Mice, lately killed, answer well for

tills purpose : when none of these can be
procured, feathers may be given with the
beef as a substitute. It is to be observed
that hawks, after having taken fur or feathers
with their food, will not fly until they have

ON BATHING.

Hawks should bathe every five or six
days, in a clear stream, or pool, of water, that
is shallow at the edge ; but when these are
not at hand, eyesses may be made to bathe in
pans sufficiently large for the purpose.

A moderate quantity of food is to be
given to the hawk, before he is taken to the
stream ; a creance is to be tied to the leash,
and fastened to the ground ; he is then to be
unhooded, and placed near the water. The
falconer must then retire to a distance. When

the hawk has bathed^ he should be IdBt to
plume himself on the beach^ as long as he
rjemajnsquiQt, but he musj: be cautiously taken
up the moment he shews signs of uneasiness^
lest he should bait in the -. cr&mce with a full
crop, which is always to be prevented by every
possible precaution.

WEATHERING.

To weather a hawk^ is to leave him un-
faooded in the open air; eyesses may be
weathered on their blocks^ but the passage
hawks should be placed on a small hillock^
covered with turf^ and a few mouthfiills of
food should be given to them when they
are unhooded.

IMPING.

Whei4|^y of the flight or tail feathers
of a hawk are accidentally broken^ the speed

1^1

of the bird ia so injured, that the falconer
6nd8 it necessary to repair them, by an ex-
pedient called imping.

This curious process consists in attach-
ing to the part that remains an exact substi-
tute for the piece lost. For this purpose the
falconer is always provided with pinions, (right
and left) and with tail leathers of hawks, or
with the feathers separated from the pinion,
carefully preserved and numbered, so as to
prevent mistake in taking a true match for
the injured feather. He then with a sharp
knife gently parts the web of the feather to
be repaired, at its thickest part, and cuts the
shaft obliquely forward, so as not to damage
the web on the opposite edge. He next cuts
the substitute feather as exactly as possible
at the corresponding point, and with the same
degree of slope.

For the purpose of uniting them, he is
provided with an iron needle, with broad tri-

angular points at both ends ; and after wetting
the needle with salt and water, he thrusts it
into the centre of the pith of each part, as
truly straight, and as nearly to the same
length in each as may be. When this opera-
tion has been skilfijlly performed, the junction
is so neat that an inexperienced eye would
hardly discern tlie point of union ; and as the
ii-on rusts, from having been wetted with
brine, there is little or no danger of sepa-
ration.

MEWING.

The mew is the place where hawks are
put to moult. They are sometimes kept loose
in a room ; but it is, in my opinion, much
better to mew them on perches or on blocks.
Hawks must be fed very high, and kept very
quiet when they mew ; they are also kept
unhooded, and frequently bathed.

As it is difficult to procure Icelanders
and gyrfalcons, these valuable birds are well
worth mewing ; but as slight falcons and
goshawks are easily obtained, much trouble
and expense will be saved by getting young
birds every year ; and as these do not cast
their flight and tail feathers the first year,

^they will be in order to fly in the autumn,
when the older birds will be in moult.

THE CAGE.

The cage is an oblong frame, four feet
six inches long and two feet wide, made of
light wood, the sides and ends are of a proper
size for hawks to perch upon, and a little
wadded, that it may not injure their feet. It
is supported, when placed on the ground, by
four legs, about a foot long. Slight rods of
hazel are fixed across each end, to prevent
the hawks from falling on the inside when

they bait. A space of about twenty inches
in length is left in the middle of the cage,
in which the falconer places himself, carrying
it by two straps that pass over his shoulders.
The hawks are tied upon the cage as upon
a perch, and by this contrivance many may
be carried by one man.

The cage, and other instriiments used
in falconry, are well described in the plates
of the French EncydoptBdiay printed in 1751.

FINIS.

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