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 that he sees the
falcon, and will remain there until the falcon arrives, with the hawk
waiting on in the air. The magpie is to be driven from his retreat, and
the hawk, if at a good pitch, will stoop at him as he passes to another
bush, from whence he is to be driven in the same way, another hawk
having been previously cast off, so that one or the other may always be
so situated as to attack him to advantage.
The second hawk is necessary, for the magpie shifts with great cunning
and dexterity 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
inequality of the ground in order to escape.
Four or five assistants, besides the falconer, (who should attend solely
to his hawks) are required for this sport. They 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. Nothing can be more
animating than this sport; it is, in my opinion, far superior to every
other kind of hawking. The object of the chase is fully a match for its
pursuers—a requisite absolutely necessary to give an interest to any
sport of this kind; and it has the advantage of giving full employment
to the company, which is not the case in partridge-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 himself from
the stoop of the falcon. Many requisites are necessary to afford this
sport in perfection—a favourable country, good hawks, and able
assistants.—_Sebright._
MAID or MAIDEN-RAY, _s._ A species of skate fish. They are amazingly
plenty on the North West Coast of Ireland, and only used as food
by the poorer classes.
MAIZE, _s._ Indian wheat.
MALANDERS, _s._ A dry scab on the pastern of horses.
Malanders is a disorder that attacks the back part, or flexure, of the
knee joint, and depends upon a combination of mange and grease. It
appears as a scurfy or scabby eruption, and is often very painful,
causing some degree of lameness from the pain the animal feels in moving
the joint. Sometimes it is not so considerable as to produce lameness,
or any apparent inconvenience, but generally becomes troublesome and
obstinate unless attended to. Salanders occur in the fore part, or
flexure, of the hock joint, and are of the same nature as malanders.
They should first be well washed with soap and water, and all the scurf
and loose cuticle completely removed. They may then be cured by the
following ointments:—