318 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



eventually, from young birds reared by the falconer (and then termed ' eyases ' ), as 

 with full-grown, wild-caught birds, known as ' haggards ; ' but old-time falconers held 

 the latter in much the higher estimation. The wild-caught birds are often much 

 stronger, and hence better for large game, while their chief value lies in the fact that 

 they have always been accustomed to hunt for themselves, and have thus acquired 

 habits of watchfulness and daring which are difficult to cultivate in ' eyases.' They 

 are, however, extremely hard to train at first, and very likely to forget their teaching 

 and regain their liberty the first time they are ' flown ' by the falconer. 



In training a falcon, as in training a horse or a dog, one person should take entire 

 charge of the bird, at least until well broken. The method ordinarily adopted is, 

 briefly, as follows : 



At first the efforts should be principally toward rendering the bird quiet and tame 

 in confinement. To this end she should be handled as much as possible, and stroked 

 with a feather, using the voice frequently, and especially at feeding times. With a 

 wild-caught falcon this will be slow work at first ; the bird may refuse to eat for a day 

 or two, and for some time her training will have to be conducted in almost total dark- 

 ness. A leather ' hood ' is placed over the head, and the bird must become accus- 

 tomed to having this put on and taken off at all times, even while feeding, as well as 

 to feeding with or without it, at first in the dark, and finally in broad daylight 

 and in the presence of other persons. Then, "step by step, she must grow accustomed 

 to all sorts of noise and confusion, as well as learn to know the voice of her master, 

 and come at his call. All this time a 'jess' (strap) will be kept on each leg, and when 

 carried about she will perch on the glove or wristlet of her keeper. If more liberty 

 be desired, a line may be fastened to the ' jesses,' and its length increased as desired. 

 Up to this time she has only received food from the hand ; now she must be made to 

 go to it, and this is easily managed by letting her see it at a distance of a few feet, 

 but refusing to give it her until she jumps or flies toward it. After she will thus go 

 twenty or thirty yards Avithout fail, the line may be taken off and the bird be taught to 

 fly to her food from a much greater distance, even half a mile at last. If the food 

 so far used can be flesh of the game she is to be trained for, so much the better ; and 

 after she has caught a few pigeons, or other birds released from the hand, under favor- 

 able circumstances, she may be tried on wild game. It is important, however, that 

 all her first trials shall be successful, and it is also well that, when first allowed to 

 strike a bird at liberty, that bird shall be too large for her to carry off conveniently. 

 After a little practice it will be found that the moment a falcon is unhooded in the 

 open air and set free, she will immediately rise to a considerable height, and circle 

 about, on the lookout for her accustomed food. This is called ' waiting on,' and if she 

 has not been released until the dog has pointed, the game may now be flushed, and the 

 falcon will be pretty certain to make a successful stoop and kill her bird, in which 

 case she must be at once hooded, and either allowed to eat a little of the game killed, 

 or else some other food must be substituted. 



Should she fail to kill her game at the first plunge, and the bird take to the grass 

 again, it must be flushed as quickly as possible, and a good falcon will ' wait on ' again 

 until offered another chance to strike. Young hawks, when taken from the nest before 

 they can fly, must be suitably housed and fed until full grown, and no training except 

 simple taming is at first attempted. 



Usually they are left at liberty during the day, being accustomed to come at the 

 call, or at regular feeding-times, and they must have food enough to prevent their 



