Anecdotes and Adventures
If history is rightly called the practical illustration of philosophy,
then the quarry-book may be considered with justice the tangible test
of the falconer's theories. In many cases a handful of experience is
worth a cart-load of advice; and a trainer who has lost a valuable hawk
by treating her in a bad way is not likely to forget in a hurry how bad
that system proved. Some entertaining and very instructive anecdotes
may be found scattered about in the old books, and more especially in
that of Charles d'Arcussia, Lord of Esparron and Revest, the Italian
who was falconer to Louis XIII., and was honoured by him with special
favour. This treatise, which is difficult to procure, is well worth
perusal, not only for the descriptions contained in it of remarkable
flights, but for the sound sense of many of the precepts given. Between
the French and Italian schools of falconry, as of fencing, a sort of
friendly rivalry existed; and the Italian, who had become a Frenchman,
may be said, in a way, to have represented both.
Coming to more modern times, a great many interesting details of a
historical and anecdotal kind are given in the works already mentioned,
published during the last fifty or sixty years, beginning with the fine
illustrated volume of Schlegel and Wulverhorst, and including the new
edition of Mr. J. E. Harting's _Hints_. Without going over any of the
ground covered by these writers, I propose to add a few notes of actual
experiences within the memory of man. For most of these I am indebted
to the kindness of brother-falconers, who have supplied them at some
trouble to themselves, and whom I desire to thank heartily for their
friendly aid.
The powers of a trained peregrine are severely tested by a first-rate
house-pigeon, which is one of the fastest of flying things, shifts
well, and lives usually in fine condition, taking plenty of exercise.
Adrian Möllen told me that a fellow-countryman of his, vilipending his
passage hawks which he was then training for the campaign at herons at
the Loo, offered to bet that three of his own pigeons would beat any
hawk Möllen could produce. As the hawks were not Möllen's, and it is
always quite on the cards that a flight at a fast pigeon may result in
the loss of the hawk, the falconer had to ask leave before accepting
the bet. The king's brother, who then represented the Loo Club in
Holland, readily gave permission, and, I think, also offered to pay if
the hawk lost. Anyhow, a day was fixed, and a small party assembled
on the most open part of the Loo. The falconer had stipulated that he
should give the signal for the release of the pigeons by the owner. His
fastest falcon was then put on the wing, and as she waited on Möllen
gave the word. The pigeon started; the hawk stooped, and, after a good
flight, killed. She was allowed to eat the brain, and the rest of the
pelt was thrown to the disconcerted fancier. A second pigeon was then
prepared. The hawk again waited on, and the signal was again given.
This time, however, the pigeon was taken at the first stoop. "Out with
your third pigeon," cried Möllen, elated with the double victory. But
the countryman elected to pay, and not to play. "My third gold piece
is lost anyhow," he sadly remarked. "Better pay my money, and save my
remaining pigeon, than find I have to lose both."
The statement that a peregrine cutting down a grouse or partridge
without binding kills it "stone-dead" in the air, is doubtless
occasionally true. But to suppose that this is a common occurrence
would be a great mistake. Much more often the partridge is stunned
or dazed, the wing broken, or the back or neck dislocated. But the
force with which a game-bird comes down when hit in the air is often
very great, and enough in itself to almost fatally bruise it. I have
mentioned that a falcon of Major Fisher's knocked down a grouse on
fairly level ground which, so great was the impact, rebounded from the
earth, and came down again fifteen yards from the place where it first
fell. Larks and other birds often dash themselves hard against the
ground in shifting downwards from the stoop, and bound up again like
balls.
Peregrines, when on their day and intent on killing, will sometimes
do more execution than would readily be believed. Not very long ago
a tiercel stooped at a covey, cut down a bird, and threw up with the
intention of descending to seize the victim. But at the height to which
his impetus had carried him up he was right above the remainder of the
covey, which was speeding away at a short distance above the ground.
Changing his mind, therefore, the tiercel stooped again at one of the
fugitives. He cut this down also, and shot up again, likewise over the
retreating birds. For a second time the temptation proved too great,
and with a third stoop he took a third partridge.
John Barr was flying a ger-tiercel at a pigeon on Epsom Downs, not far
from Tattenham Corner. But the hawk was no match for the pigeon, which
evaded all his stoops. Instead, however, of making off and thanking
his lucky stars, this over-vain bird stayed fooling around. Confident
that the ger would not or could not catch him, he sailed about, as
if "chaffing" the big hawk and challenging him to do his worst. At
this moment an amateur falconer came on the Downs by the Grand Stand,
carrying a falcon (peregrine) of by no means first-rate powers, but
keen to fly, and a good waiter on. Getting on to the open ground, this
gentleman threw off his falcon. But neither he nor his falcon at first
saw the pigeon, nor did the latter, intent on his game with the ger,
espy the distant foe. Thus the hawk had time to get up some way before
there was any suspicion on either side that there was sport to be had.
As soon as the falcon did cast eyes on the inadvertent pigeon, she
fortunately went up higher, instead of starting in pursuit, as some
eyesses would have done. As she got to a pretty good pitch the pigeon
at last became aware that there was a second enemy in the field, or
rather in the air, and began to gird up his loins for flight in bitter
earnest. It was, however, now too late. The falcon towered far above,
and on the other side was the "allied power," the ger. Another ten
seconds and the falcon came down with a will, threw up, and at the
second shot did for the too imprudent joker. The amateur had the laugh
at John Barr for some days afterwards, having "wiped his ger's eye"
with a peregrine.
Mr. Riley, who has had so much success with the short-winged hawks,
had thrown off a goshawk at a rabbit, which ran past some old hollow
pollard ashes. As he passed, out jumped a fox and joined in the chase.
This, however, boded no great good for the hawk; and her owner raised
so unearthly a noise that reynard turned aside into the fence just as
the goshawk took the rabbit only two or three yards away. On another
occasion a rabbit was ferreted out by the side of a mill-pool. The
ferret was close on his traces, and he jumped deliberately into the
pool and swam across. Mr. Riley, who, like a good austringer, loves
fair play above all things, thought it a shame to fly a wet rabbit,
and would not throw off his goshawk. However, when the rabbit was on
dry land he went so well that Mr. Riley let the hawk go. The rabbit
was caught; and when he was taken from the hawk he was found to be
quite dry! But whether his wet skin had been dried up by terror or
by the violence of his exertions, or how else, is a mystery still
unsolved. One day, having had bad luck with partridges, Sir Tristram,
owned and trained by the same gentleman, was indulged with a pigeon.
The big pointer included in the party, and which was a great ally of
the goshawk, was at the time roaming about. As the hawk was pluming
the pigeon on the ground, the dog came romping along. But when he had
accidentally got within eight yards of Sir Tristram, the latter left
his meal, and, flying straight for the pointer, gave him a good sound
box on the ear, which sent him flying, the hawk then returning, well
satisfied, to his food.
Hawks have been known to kill quarry with a leash and swivel still
attached to their jesses. I have known a merlin with a long leash on
follow a lark up in rings several hundred feet high, but she could
not get on terms with him. What is, however, perhaps still more
astonishing, I have seen a merlin with a whole dead lark in her foot
pursue and strike down one that was uninjured. I was with a friend
in a very open place. Each of us had a merlin to fly; and we walked
different ways. My chance came first; and the lark, after a flight of
moderate length, was taken under some open railings surrounding a dry
pond. Hardly was this flight over, and the hawk beginning to plume her
lark, when my friend's hawk started after a lark from the opposite side
of the pond. This lark happened also to make for the same place--not
that the railings were at all likely to save him, but because he
thought he could dodge round and round the posts and under the bars,
and so put off the fatal moment. Larks seem often to think that any
shelter is better than none at all. Accordingly, round and round the
rails this second lark twisted and turned, passing sometimes within a
yard or two of the place where my hawk stood on her dead lark watching
the fun. The other hawk meanwhile made shot after shot, but could not
foot her quarry. "She"--that was the name of my merlin--looked on more
and more excitedly. At last she could stand it no longer, but getting
up, dead lark and all, she mounted a bit and stooped. As the lark was
diving underneath a rail she hit it, first shot, with a resounding
whack--not with her feet, for they were both encumbered by the dead
quarry, but with the dead quarry itself! The lark was, of course, not
held, but projected forwards and downwards about three feet to the
ground; and before he could get up again the other hawk was on him.
I was flying the same hawk in a very big stubble-field. A lark got
up--a ground lark, but a fast one--and away they went, zigzagging along
the surface of the field. They had gone a long way, but not far enough
to be out of sight, when they both suddenly vanished. Running up, I
found a deep depression in the ground, where years ago a big pit had
been dug. This accounted for the disappearance. But what had happened
after that? If the lark had been taken, where was he? And where was
his captor? A small heap of dry sticks at the bottom of the hollow was
searched in vain. There seemed to be no other hiding-place. At length a
tiny hole was seen--the mouth of a rabbit-burrow. And out of this, in
another half-minute, emerged the little hawk. The lark had gone in, and
she after it, but after some groping about in the dark had failed to
find the wily fugitive.
Only a few days afterwards the sister of this hawk started after a
first-rate ringing lark. Both of them went out of sight, drifting at
a great height towards a village a mile off. We ran towards it at our
best pace, fearing some disaster; but when half-way to it saw the hawk
coming back to the lure. Well, we were glad enough that she had not
killed in any cottage garden, and, taking her back up-wind, went on
with the day's programme. As it was getting dark we had to walk through
the same village on the way home. "Did you find your 'awk?" asked a
cottager. "What hawk?" "Why, one of your 'awks chased a lark into the
passage o' th' public there, and would a' caught 'im too, only there
was a cat in the passage up and grabbed the lark before the 'awk was on
'im; and the 'awk looked as savage as thunder, and 'ooked it out, and
went over there where you come from."
Bee Cottage stands desolate in a very big valley, with hills sloping
gradually down to it on almost all sides. A ringing lark, with a merlin
close at his heels, got within reach of this shelter from above the
hillside to windward, and shot down to it like a bullet, with the hawk
a few yards behind. It was too far to see from the hillside where,
but he put in somewhere on the premises. A diligent search, however,
in hedge, bush, coal-shed, and everywhere, led to no result. The door
was shut and locked: so were the windows. No one seemed to have lived
in the place for months. More searching, without any sign of lark or
hawk. Yet they undoubtedly came down here, and never came out again.
Outside, they could have been seen anywhere for half a mile. At last I
saw that there was a small pane of glass gone in one of the downstair
windows. Through that opening I looked; and there sat my lady, with a
fluffy heap round her feet. So far, so good. But the room was full of
bees, some dead, and some alive! What was to be done?
Colonel Sanford owned, hacked, and trained a very first-rate merlin
called Orkney, which killed no less than ten larks in a single day
in single flights, thus surpassing Queen, which took nine in single
flights and one in double. This Orkney, after a very long flight, put a
lark into a flock of sheep. But she marked the exact spot, underneath a
sheep, where the fugitive stopped, and, taking perch on a neighbouring
wether, kept her eye on the place. The sheep moved on, leaving the
ground clear; and Orkney jumped as nearly as she could guess on the
right spot. She failed, however, to grab the lark, which got up again
and promptly took refuge under another sheep. Again the little hawk
took stand on the next bleater, marking still more carefully the
hiding-place of the quarry. Again the animals walked on, and this time
perseverance was rewarded, and the lark was carried in triumph from
the woolly protectors which had so nearly saved him. The same hawk
once drove a lark into a small hole where she could see nothing of him
but the tail. After some reflection she put in her beak and grasped
steadily the feathers of the tail. Then with an unhurried pull she drew
him far enough out of the hole to be able to get at him with her foot.
The best hawk I ever had was the merlin Eva. She was never beaten in
fair flight by any lark during the whole of the moulting season; and
she killed one (fully moulted, of course) as late as 7th November. One
day she mounted an immense height after a ringing lark, bested him,
and had had three shots, when a wild merlin joined in. After this the
two hawks flew in concert just as if they had been trained in the same
stable. Stoop for stoop, in regular alternations, they worked this
plucky lark down by a few yards at each shift, neither I nor James
Retford, who was running with me, being able to distinguish which was
which. At last, when the lark had been driven down to within about 300
feet of the ground, there were two fine stoops in quick succession, the
second of which was fatal. "Which is it?" I gasped, inquiring of the
experienced falconer. "The wild one," I think, he answered, sinking
down breathless on the down. It was not, though. The wild hawk,
furious, turned away, and, to vent her rage, made a savage shot at the
ears of a hare which happened at the moment to be running along the
valley; while Eva, descending slowly on the side of the down, had just
recovered her breath by the time I got up.
On a second occasion Eva was almost equally high, and still ringing to
get above her lark, when she suddenly spread her wings and swerved in
her course. At the same moment Major Fisher, who was out on horseback,
shouted, "The wild merlin!" But this time Eva was not going to join
in any duet. The wild hawk had come up on a much lower level than the
trained one had attained, possibly thinking that when Eva had done the
hard work of the early stoops she might cut in and reap the benefit.
At any rate, Eva was not to be so dealt with. Poising herself like a
falcon when the grouse get up, she turned over and came down with every
ounce of force she could muster right at the interloper. Of course she
did not hit her. The two went off, stooping at one another, and were
soon out of sight. Major Fisher rode after them, field-glass in hand,
predicting that the wild hawk would chase Eva away. But in less than
two minutes he espied a merlin coming back; and the trained hawk, in
one long slanting fall from out of sight, descended daintily upon the
lure held in her owner's fist.
Queen was a first-rate merlin--sister of Jubilee, and also, though
younger by a year, of Tagrag. She started at a ringing lark in a very
open place, and it was a case of hard running, for there were no
markers out. Before half a mile was covered they were over a sloping
brow. By a desperate spurt I reached the ridge, when the hawk was in
sight again. The ground sloped downwards for half a mile more; and
in the valley, far away, was a sheep-fold, with sheep, shepherd, and
a dog. For this fold the quarry was of course making. Anyhow, there
would be the shepherd to mark; and a shout might reach even his rather
inattentive ear. It was too far to see the hawk as she stooped; but
when she threw up, and when she turned over, the sunlight caught the
under-surface of her wing or tail, and showed where she was; and the
last gleam came from painfully near the sheep. The running was easier
downhill; and soon the shepherd was within hail. "Where is the hawk?"
Reply inaudible up-wind. Thirty yards farther on the words could be
heard, "Gone back where you come from." Then, of course, she had lost
the lark--rather luckily, having regard to the dog--and had passed me
unnoticed, flying low. Well, the hill must be mounted again and the
lure kept going. There, too, is surely a glimpse of Queen herself, just
vanishing over the sky-line. She will be gone back to the place where
her sister is pegged down. Ten minutes' walking and running, and this
place is in sight. But no sign of Queen. Five minutes' more luring,
and at last a hawk comes in sight,--not making directly for the lure,
however, but hanging about and keeping well away. Strange conduct in
this merlin, which rather liked the lure! And now she begins waiting
on, and soaring,--a rare amusement with this very practical-minded
hawk. Round and round, farther and farther down-wind, away we go, Queen
hardly now even looking at the lure. Soon the hawk is too far to keep
in sight without very fast running. Had I been fresh, probably I should
have run hard. But I was far from fresh. And the behaviour of Queen was
very queer.
Suddenly a new idea evolved itself. What if it was not Queen at all,
but a wild merlin? It might be well to search a bit, anyhow, where
Queen was last seen in her own undoubted personality. Searching,
therefore, became the word--rather late in the day. And on a patch of
new-ploughed fallow, barely distinguishable from the clods of brown
earth, there stood my lady, with a litter of feathers round her, calmly
eating the remains of a lark, and wondering what on earth I was about.
She had taken the lark with that very last stoop for which I had seen
her turn over, at the very edge of the sheep-fold, and, not liking
the proximity of the dog, had carried her booty well away, taking
the direction from which she had come, as the dog was on the other
side. The wild hawk had been too late to join in the flight, but had
seen the kill, and had come down perhaps with a vague idea of robbing
Queen. Thinking better of any such attempt--which would not have ended
pleasantly--she had been inquisitive as to the lure, and thinking the
whole affair rather singular, had soared about, waiting to see what
would happen next.
Ruy Lopez was a jack which rather fancied himself, and had something
in his style of flying of the tactics of a haggard peregrine. That
is, he would start in a different direction from the quarry, so that
strangers would suppose he had no designs upon it, and afterwards turn
and make an immensely long stoop at it all across the air. But on one
occasion he had a very close personal experience of the stooping of
peregrines. He was lost; and no one knew anything of his whereabouts.
It so happened that James and William Retford, Major Fisher's
falconers, were out with a pointer and a falcon named Black Lady. The
dog stood, but in a queer and rather doubtful way; and Black Lady was
thrown off. When she had got to her pitch the men ran in. But instead
of partridges, there got up out of the swedes the unexpected shape of
Ruy Lopez, he having been quietly discussing there a lark which he had
just killed. Down came the falcon, better pleased, as hawks are, at
such a chase than one at a mere partridge. And the falconers describe
the flight as beyond measure exciting. They thought each stoop would be
the last, and declared that the small hawk saved himself several times
by a hair's-breadth. At length, however, he got in under a stook of
wheat. No doubt the falconers thought it was a near thing. And possibly
it was; but as far as my own experience goes, trained peregrines cannot
get within a yard of a good trained merlin. I have seen them try; and
the merlin has shifted with contemptuous ease. Major Fisher, however,
as already mentioned, had a tiercel which made it very hot for a wild
merlin, and, as he thinks, very nearly caught it. I have seen one of
his eyess tiercels take a kestrel with apparent ease at the first
stoop. But that is certainly quite a different matter.
The already long list which has been given of mischances and maladies
which beset trained hawks is even yet not complete. In India the wild
eagles are a serious nuisance, coming down from the high altitudes at
which they soar, and obliging the hawks to shift for their own safety
just when they are expected and expecting to give a good account of
their own quarry. In England, hawks which are pegged out in any but
a quiet private place are exposed to the attack of any chance dog.
I do not know that cats will deliberately attack even the smallest
jack, either by day or by night. But a tame cat which had gone mad
once made an onslaught on the trained peregrines belonging to the
O. H. C., and with such ferocity that quite a large number of them
died of their wounds. Mr. A. W. Reed, an experienced and enthusiastic
amateur falconer, had some very valuable hawks, including a ger and
some Eastern varieties, pegged out on a lawn in Essex. A neighbouring
householder, being troubled by sparrows, laid down poisoned grain. The
sparrows took the grain, and, dying as they flew over the place where
the hawks were, fell down on the ground near the blocks. Of course
the hawks ate them; and, equally of course, the hawks were poisoned.
And, advice being taken, it was considered useless to take proceedings
against the offender.
Cases of deliberate hawk-murder are now punishable by law. All
falconers are highly indebted to Mr. E. C. Pinckney for having
demonstrated this fact conclusively in a local tribunal. He extracted
£10 in damages from a neighbour who had shot at and killed his
game-hawk, although the latter set up the usual defence, pretending
that he was unaware that the hawk was a tame one. The judge held that,
as he was aware that his neighbour kept trained hawks, if he shot
at one, he did so at his own peril, just as a man would who shot at
a house-pigeon or escaped parrot. More lately still, Mr. A. W. Reed
has been awarded £5 at the Kingston County Court as damages from a
neighbour who had wilfully shot his trained peregrine. The precedents,
as far as they go, are most valuable. Unfortunately they do not, of
course, go very far. But a falconer will be well advised, having regard
to them, to send notices in registered letters, when going into any
district, to all such people as are likely to prove mischievous.
INDEX
Acari or mites, 233, 241
Accidents, 225-233
Accipiter badius, 35
" nisus, 34
African falconers, 167
" lanner, 25
" merlin, 28
Ague, 238
Air, taking the, 107, 139
Alexander, Prince, of the Netherlands, 144, 276
Aloes, 81, 237, 240, 241, 252
Alphanet, 25
Anderson, John, falconer, 4, 5
Anne, Major, 7
Antelope, 37
Antennaire, 18
Antiquity of hawking, 1
Apoplexy, 32, 239
Apostume, 239
Arcussia, Charles d'. _See_ D'Arcussia
Arm, 19
Asiatic falconers, 2, 7, 36, 103, 234
"Aurora," eyess falcon, 259
Bagged quarry, 29, 93, 135, 154, 199
Bags made by falconers, 129, 140, 146, 158, 159, 211, 232
Ballantine, Peter, falconer, 5
Barachin, M., 7, 38
Barbary, falcon and tiercel, 21, 115
Barr, John, Robert, and William, falconers, 5, 16, 101, 146, 248, 257
Bath, 50, 64, 175, 250, 273
Bating, 76, 77, 82, 152, 154, 273
Beak, 233
Beam feathers, 250
Beaters, 175, 211
Beaufort, Cardinal, 3
Bee Cottage, 279
Bell, 41, 201
Belvallette, M., 7, 11
Bent feathers, 227
Berkute, 37
Berners, Dame Juliana, 7
" Lord, 4
Bert, 7, 243
Besra sparrow-hawk, 35
Bewit, 42
Biddulph, Capt. S., 7
Binding, 19, 30, 127
Birding, 162, 166
Birds used in hawking, 9-32
Bittern, 18
Blackbird, 162-165, 168
Black-game, 116, 125, 129
"Black Lady," eyess falcon, 283
Black-legged falconet, 39
Black shaheen, 20
Blain, 242
"Blanche," eyess sparrow-hawk, 168
Blocking, 20
Blocks, 47, 65
Blome, 131
Blue hawks, 19
Bone, fracture of, 232
Bonelli's eagle, 36-38
Bonham, Colonel, 5
Bots, falconer, 5, 144 _n._
Bow-net, 69, 73
" -perch, 47, 48
Bowse, 19
Box-cadge, 52
Boynton, Sir H., 7, 159
Brace of hood, 49
Brail, 49, 60, 61, 254
Brancher, 18, 55
Brodrick, Mr. W., 6, 101
Brook, hawking at the, 144
Brooksbank, Colonel, 7, 129, 146
Brown, Sir T., 148
Bruise, 233, 243
"Buccaneer," peregrine tiercel, 146
Bustard, 37
Button of leash, 44
Cadge, cadger, 51, 192
Calling off, 90, 177
Carelessness, 213
Carrying, 83, 151, 253
" or lifting, 32, 95, 132, 261
Cassian, of Rhodes, 233
Cast, 20, 145, 273
Casting a hawk, 20, 42, 227
Castings, 46, 77, 152, 189, 235
Cat, 283
Catarrh, 240
Catherine II. of Russia, 3, 132
Champagne Club, 5
Check, 32, 267
Chilian falcon, 22
China, 2, 145
Chinese falconers, 2, 7, 145
Churchmen as falconers, 3
Claws, 20, 242
Clean moulted, 250
Clubs for hawking, 4, 5, 144
Colour of hawks, 258
" jesses, 58, 66
"Comet," eyess falcon, 101
Condition, 77, 91, 132, 136, 142, 210, 235, 252
Coping, 64, 152, 173
Corns, 233, 242
Costume, 84, 225
Country for hawking, 8, 31, 101
Courage, 272, 274
Coursing, 108
Crabbe, Captain, 7
Crabbing, 93, 273
Cramp, 238
Crane, 18, 34
Craye, 242
Creance, 89, 153, 200
Cries of falconers, 110, 122, 126, 127
Croaks, 14, 237
Crow, 18
Crutch for eagles, 36, 48
Cubebes, 241
Curlew, 147
Cutting down, 128
Damp, 172, 238
D'Arcussia, Charles, 3, 8, 16, 25, 35, 39, 128, 275
Daring, 27, 130
Death cry, 110, 127
Deck feathers, 19
Decline of falconry, 3, 4
Decoy hawk, 72, 218
Deplume, 19, 134, 202
Desert falcons, 23, 25
"Destiny," passage tiercel, 143
Dhuleep Singh, H.H. the Maharajah, 7, 13, 257
"Diamond," eyess jack merlin, 208, 209
Diary, 58, 65, 191, 209
Diet, 24, 58, 152, 160, 180, 203, 243
Difficulties of hawking, 4, 8, 132
Disclosing, 18
Disposition of hawks, 55, 67, 171, 256, 261
Distance covered in flights, 113, 138, 148
Docility of hawks, 84
Dogs, 84, 85, 121, 125, 163, 167, 281, 283
Double flights, 113, 140, 143, 144, 145
Down-wind flights, 107, 136
"Drawn," 191, 251
Drooping wing, 232
Duck, 248
" -hawk, 45
" -hawking, 144
Dugmore, Captain, 14
Eagles, 10, 35-39, 182, 186
Eleonora falcon, 25
Endue, 19
"Enid," eyess goshawk, 158
Enseam, 20
Entering, 92-94
"Eva," eyess merlin, 137, 141, 206, 211, 280, 281
Exercise, 99, 132, 181
Eyess, 18, 55-69
Eyrie, 18
"Faerie," eyess sparrow-hawk, 168
Falcon, 9, 11 _n_, 17
Falconer, 81, 170-211
Falconets, 39
Falling evil, 239
Farm-houses, 216
Fat hawks, 91, 185, 239
Feak, 19
Feathers, 19, 56, 58, 191, 225, 231, 244, 252
Feeding hawks, 56, 57, 58, 75, 87, 89, 179-191
Feet, 26, 257
Feilden's falcon, 39
Field-blocks, 48, 105, 193
" -glass, 66, 113
Filanders, 241
Fisher, Major C. Hawkins, 6, 148, 258, 276, 283
Fishing-rod trick, 135
Fist, hawks of the, 92, 150
Flags, 19
Flat wings, 259
Flemings of Barochan, 3
Flight of hawks, 65, 236, 259
Flight feathers, 19, 225
Florican, 18
Fly-catchers, 39
Food, 181, 186, 248
Footing, 13, 99, 123, 132, 260, 274
Formica or mites, 241
Fowls, 58, 82, 157
Fox, 37
Francolin, 18, 25
Frederick II., Emperor, 2, 7
Freeman, Rev. G. E., 6, 128, 141, 188
French falconers, 3, 7
" writers, 7, 11
Frost, John, falconer, 5
Frounce, 240
Furniture, 40-49, 173
"Gaiety Gal," trained goshawk, 159
Game-hawking, 115-129, 194
Gamekeepers, 74
Garlic, 81
Gentle, falcon and tiercel, 19
Ger, falcon and tiercel, 12-16, 115, 277
"Geraint," eyess goshawk, 158
Gervais, M. Paul, 7, 37
Gibbs, Peter, falconer, 162
Gloves for hawking, 53
Golden eagle, 37, 255
" plover, 147
Good and bad hawks, 257
Gorge, 152, 182
" of hawk, 19
Goshawk, 33, 115, 150-159, 198
Greek writers, 1, 2, 7
Green mutes, 235
" plover, 146
Greenland falcon and tiercel, 12
Ground lark, 137
Grouse, 34, 116, 129
"Gulliver," eyess tiercel, 143
Gulls, 6, 94, 142
Hack, 61-69
" bells, 42, 66, 177
" board, 62, 66
" hawks, 61-69
Haggard, 19, 70-86, 158
Halchband, 167
Haller, M. Constantine, 7, 35
Hand of hawk, 19
"Hard" stoops, 15, 128
Hare-hawking, 12, 23, 33, 129, 148, 153-157
Harold, King, 2
Harting, Mr. J. E., 1, 5, 275
"Hawk" and "falcon," 9
" catching, 71
Hawk-houses, 53, 172
" -van, 52, 105
Hawking clubs, 4, 144 _n_
" gloves, 53
Head of hawk, 258
Hedge, 121, 163
Henry the Fowler, 2
" VI., 3
" VIII., 3
Heron-hawking, 5, 18, 23, 33, 141, 143, 156
Herring-gull, 142
"Hey, gar, gar!" 122
Hobby, 26, 130, 181
"Hoo, ha, ha!" 122
Hood, 48, 49, 173
" -shy, 80, 269
Hooding, 48, 78, 81, 192, 226, 273
House-pigeons, 65, 72, 118, 275
"Howit!" falconer's cry, 125
Hume, Mr., 38
Hunger-traces, 56
Huts of hawk-catchers, 71
Iceland falcon and tiercel, 13
Imperial eagle, 38
Imping, 30, 191, 227
" needle, 228
Indian bells, 42
" falconers, 103, 236
" hoods, 49
" merlin, 28
Inflammation of the crop, 240
Intermewed hawks, 19
"Isolt," eyess female goshawk, 158
Italian falconers, 7
" writers, 7, 167
Jack or male merlin, 28
Jackdaw, 147
James I. of England, 3
" IV. of Scotland, 3
Japanese falconers, 7, 39
Javanese falcon, 22
Jay, 33
Jess, 41
Join, 19
Jowk, 19
"Jubilee," eyess jack, 61, 65, 68, 140, 199, 211
Jumping to the fist, 88
"Kecks," or croaks, 237
Kestrel, 2, 18, 29, 30, 68, 78, 148, 274, 283
Kholsan, 37
Killing trained hawks, 4, 8, 283, 284
"Kismet," eyess tiercel, 143
Kite-hawking, 15, 23, 103, 144
Labrador falcon, 14
"Lady Mabel," eyess sparrow-hawk, 168
"Lady Macbeth," eyess sparrow-hawk, 164
Landrail, 147, 156, 167
Lanner, lanneret, 23, 115, 198
Lantiner, 18
Lapwing, 146, 217
Lark-hawking, 130-141, 201
Larks, 137
Lascelles, Hon. G., 6, 8
Latham, S., 8, 21, 131
Law about hawking, 4, 284
Laziness, 86, 211, 269
Learning to train hawks, 30
Leash, 44, 278
Leo X., Pope, 3
Lesser falcon, 22
Lice, 241
Lifting, 32, 95, 132, 261
Lilford, Lord, 6, 13, 74, 130
Live lure, 204
Long-winged hawks, 19-30
Loo Club, 5, 144
Lost hawks, 136, 201, 213-224, 231
Louis XI. of France, 3
" XIII., 39, 131
Lugger, 25
Lure, 37, 51, 63, 88, 117, 265, 281
" hawks of the, 150
Made hawk, 93, 125
Magpie, 145, 197
Maichin, M., 37
Mailed, 20
Mails, 19
Make-hawk, 93, 113, 142, 273
Making in, 95, 96, 102, 195
Maladies, 235-243
Mann, Mr. T., 7
Manning, 61, 80, 151
Mantle, 19
Marhawk, 81
Markers, 175, 192, 194
Marshalling the field, 193
"May," eyess merlin, 206, 207
Meal-times, 62, 64
Medicine, 234, 252, 269
Megrim, 241
Merlin, 27, 80, 115, 130-141, 148, 181, 206-212, 217, 226
"Meteor," passage tiercel, 146
Mews, 53, 172
Mice, 182
Michelin, 249
Migration of hawks, 70, 71, 179
Mites, 91, 233, 241
Möllen, Adrian, and Sons, 5, 16, 42, 48, 79, 144, 276
Moult, 139, 140, 244-254
Moulting larks, 137, 139, 199
Mountee, 94
Mounting, 120, 128
" larks, 138
Mummy, 243
Musket, or male sparrow-hawk, 3, 160-169
Mutes, 20, 234, 235, 241
Nares, 19, 233, 258
Naturalists, 39
Newall, Mr. A., 7, 130, 155, 159
Newcome, Mr. E. C., 5, 13, 16, 101, 131, 144
Norfolk plover, 147
Norway falcon and tiercel, 13
Norwegian goshawks, 33
Notes of flights, 206
Notice that trained hawks are kept, 284
O'Keefe, Mr., 101
O'Neill, Lord, 5
Old Hawking Club, the, 5, 16, 52, 105, 116, 143
Oriental falconers, 2
Origin of hawking, 1
"Orkney," eyess merlin, 280
Ostringer, or austringer, 32
Over-hawked falconers, 170
Owl, 23, 144
Oxer, George, falconer, 6, 159
Packing hawks, 56
Padding of blocks and perches, 45, 47
Palsy, 241
Pannel, 19
Pantas, 241
"Parachute," eyess falcon, 116, 129, 149
Parasites, 241
Partridge, 115, 125, 129, 153, 156, 158, 161, 162, 165
Passage hawks, 18, 70-86, 97, 123
Peewit, 146, 217
Pegging out, 85
Pells, John, falconer, 5
Pelt, 19, 102, 199, 263
Perch, 45, 242
Perching, 268
Peregrine, 16-20
Petty singles, 19
Pheasant, 115, 148, 153, 156, 158
Physicking, 24, 91, 153, 161, 236-243
Pichot, M. P. A., 7
Picking up quarry, 130, 161, 197
Pigeons, 58, 65, 72, 94, 141, 154, 204, 217, 275, 284
Pills, 252
Pin, 242
Pinckney, Mr. E. C., 147, 284
Pitch, 120
Plovers, 146, 147
Plugging, 230
Point, making a, 20, 125
Pointers, 121, 125
Poisoning, 283
Pole-cadge, 52
" -hawk, 72
" -pigeon, 73
Poultry, 157
Pounces, 31
Price of hawks, 25, 71, 144, 155
Pride of falcons, 256
"Princess," eyess merlin, 94
" wild-caught sparrow-hawk, 169
Principals, 19
Prynne, 243
Punic falcon, 22
Purge for hawks, 153, 252, 253
Put in, 20, 136, 197
Put over, 19
Quail, 147, 156, 167
Quarry, 12
" -book, 206, 275
"Queen," eyess merlin, 211, 281
Rabbit, 33, 58, 153, 158, 181, 277
Radcliffe, Colonel Delmé, 8, 20
Rain, 178, 254
Rake away, 32, 97, 119, 266
Ramage hawk, 18
Rangle, 190
Rats, 156, 157, 239
Ravine deer, 34
Recapture, 220
Reclamation, 76-96, 151
Record of flights, 206-211
Red falcon and tiercel, 18, 71
" hawks, 18, 71
" -legged falconet, 39
" -naped shaheen, 21
"Red Queen," trained goshawk, 159
Reed, Mr. A. W., 7, 283, 284
Refusing, 136, 162, 271
Renfrewshire Subscription Hawking Club, 148
Retford, James and William, falconers, 6, 280, 282
Retrievers, 125, 127, 156
Revival of falconry, 8
Rewards, 153, 193, 222
Ricks, 263
Riding to hawks, 107, 113, 195
Riley, Mr. John, 6, 157, 161, 168, 277
Ring swivel, 43, 45
Ringing flights, 107, 133, 137, 139, 208
Robin, or male hobby, 183
Rook-hawking, 101-114, 195
Rooks, 94, 119, 217
Rouse, 19
Royal falconers, 2, 3, 141
"Ruby," eyess sparrow-hawk, 163, 168
" eyess jack, 209
Rufter-hood, 49, 57
Running cunning, 223, 272
Russian falconers, 7, 37
"Ruy Lopez," eyess jack, 136, 282
Rye, 242
Sails, 19
St. Quintin, Mr. W. H., 6, 129, 142, 146, 148
Saker, 22, 103, 144, 183, 186, 236
Sal ammoniac, 234
Salvin, Captain, 6, 48
Sanford, Colonel E. C. A., 7, 130, 140, 148, 280
Schlegel and Wulverhorst, 8, 275
Science of flying, 107, 123
Scores, 129, 140, 143, 148, 158, 159
Score-sheet, 206-211
Scotch hares, 129
Screaming, 270
Screen perch, 45, 233
Sea-fowl, 15, 147
Sebright, Sir John, 60, 82, 151
Seeling, 20, 78, 80, 119
Serving a hawk, 20, 92, 136
Shaheen, 20, 21, 115, 147, 148
Shakespeare, 3, 162
Shape of hawks, 257
"She," eyess merlin, 66, 278
Shifting, 108
Shooting trained hawks, 284
Short-winged hawks, 10, 30, 90, 150-169
Shrike, 21, 71, 73
Signals for markers, 192
Sinclair, Mr. John, 5, 148
"Sir Tristram," eyess goshawk, 158, 278
"Sis," eyess merlin, 140
Size and shape of hawks, 15, 22, 257-259
Slice, 20, 46
Slight falcon and tiercel, 19, 70
Small birds, 29, 187
Snares for hawks, 221
Snipe, 28, 148
Snurt, 242
Soar, or sore hawk, 18
Soaring, 96, 179, 265
Sock, 74
Soft lure, 98
Sourbets, M., 7
South African lanner, 25
Spaniels, 156
Spare lures, 113, 214
Sparrow, 29, 186, 239, 283
" -hawk, 34, 115, 160-169
Spectators, 172, 195, 197
Speed of hawks, 17, 67, 274
Spotted eagle, 38
Spring-swivel, 43
Squirrel, 156
"Starlight," peregrine tiercel, 143
Starling, 162, 167, 217
Steppe eagle, 38
Stern-chase, 120
Stoat, 156, 158
Stone curlew, 147
Stonehenge, 196
Stoop, 12, 65, 109, 122, 138
Stooping to the lure, 98
String, 200, 263
Stuffing young hawks, 58
Style, 114, 158, 184
Suffusion of the eye, 240
Sugar, sugar-candy, 82, 239, 240, 243
Sulkiness, 67, 261
Summed, 18
Swallow, 65, 131
Swivel, 43
Symonds, Mr. George, 130
"Tagrag," eyess jack, 216, 219, 231
Tail of hawk, 32, 232
" tying up of, 151
Tail-to-tail, 271
Taking up, 69
Talon, 19, 242
Tame hawks, 91
Tartaret, 22
Temper, 36, 52, 68, 141, 160, 255
Temperament, 67, 132, 256, 261
Thin hawks, 77, 91, 185
Thompson, Major C. W., 7
Thornton, Colonel, 4, 148
Throwing off, 104, 106
" up, 109
Thrush, 164, 167
Ticks, 241
Tiercel, tassel, or tiercelet, 18
Time of feeding and flying hawks, 64, 89, 179
Tips, 193, 222
Tirings, 53, 61, 81, 152, 182, 187, 227
Tit-bits, 59, 182, 262
Tobacco wash, 241
"Tostin," haggard male goshawk, 158
Train, 19
Training, 80-100
Traps, 102, 199
Travelling, 56
Tree hawks, 263
Trees, 218, 264
Tristram, Canon, 39
Trussing, 30
Tunisian lanner, 25
Turbervile, 7, 80, 233, 239
Tying up tail, 151, 226
Umbrella, 178
Undulating country, 31
Unhooding, 49, 77, 105, 273
Unpopularity of hawking, 3
Unseeling, 20
Unsummed, 18
Up-wind and down-wind, 119, 136, 194
Valkenswaard, 42, 71
Value of hawks. _See_ Price
Van, 52
Varvels, 41
"Vesta," eyess falcon, 116, 129, 176, 269
Vice, 255-274
Virtues of hawks, 255-259, 274
Voice, 82, 83, 106, 122
Waiting on, 15, 92, 96, 117, 145, 197
Waking, 80, 151
Walking up quarry, 121, 126, 194
Warble, 20
Washed meat, 98, 185, 253
Water, 277
" -hen, 154, 156, 162
" -rail, 156
Watson, Colonel, 7
Weasel, 33, 156
Weather, 178, 248
Weathering, 86
Whistle, 82
White-crowned eagle, 38
" -legged falconet, 39
"Who-whoop," 110
"Why-loe," falconer's cry, 119
Wild-caught hawks, 70, 87
" -duck, 18, 21, 129, 144, 156
" -fowl, 18, 38, 156
Wild-goose, 15, 18, 147, 156
" hawks, 68, 71, 141, 186, 219, 235, 236, 270, 283
Willemot, Rev. W., 7
"Will o' the Wisp," passage tiercel, 101
Wind, 100, 107, 136, 142, 175, 178, 192
Winding up, 220
Wing, breakage of, 232
" feathers, 11
" of hawks and eagles, 11, 258, 259
Wing, weakness of, 232
Winter larks, 140
Wood-pigeon, 18, 33, 158, 167
Woodcock, 5, 148
Worms, 241
Worth of live and dead hawks, 30, 71, 144, 155
Wren, 162
Writers on hawking, 1, 7
Yarak, 31, 153, 162
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MORRISON AND GIBB LIMITED
EDINBURGH
* * * * *
Transcriber Notes
Illustrations moved so as to not split paragraphs.