HARD WICKE 'S S CIENCE ■ G O SSI P. 



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Vcratrum album, Tunsing ^yyrt (Tungilsing wyrt), 

 from Timgil, a star, and wyrt, a plant. 



Some of the remedies given in the Herbal are 

 ludicrous and harmless, but many of them are dis- 

 gusting and dangerous, and I should think it probable 

 that the practitioner of the period must have killed 

 more than the diseases he tried to cure. As a specimen 

 of the first-named, I quote the following recipe : — 

 " Against a woman's chatter, taste at night, fasting, a 

 root of radish ; that day the chatter cannot harm thee." 



One of the cui'es for cancer was compounded of no 

 less than forty-two plants made into a salve with 

 tar. 



In many cases certain magical rites accompanied 

 the preparation of the medicine, and in others a 

 certain number of Paternosters. The following 

 remedy for lunacy has the merit of simplicity. " In 

 case a man be a lunatic "' (inonat'i seoc, monthly sick, 

 in allusion to the paroxysms supposed to occur when 

 the moon was at the full), " take skin of a mereswine 

 [porpoise], make into a whip, swinge the man there- 

 with ; soon he will be well. Amen." 



THE PEREGRINE FALCON 

 {Falco peregrimis). 



THE Falcon now under notice is the perfection of 

 its kind, when carefully and properly trained. 

 The Gyr is' indeed a larger and stronger bird, and 

 was used for the very best sport ; but it is extremely 

 difficult to procure, great expense and trouble have 

 to be incurred to obtain it. It has a very obstinate 

 temper, and requires a great amount of training, 

 while, on the other hand, the Peregrine can be 

 procured in our own island, is more docile and 

 tractable, and does not require such severe training 

 as the Gyr. For these few reasons, it was much 

 more liked, and much more used by falconers. 



There was a time when the Peregrine might be 

 found abundantly on the British isles ; but, alas ! that 

 time has passed ; and now, instead of being held in 

 high repute, and tended with jealousy and care, 

 this noble bird is classed with the rest of the " winged 

 vennin," which profusely deck the gable-end of the 

 keeper's house. 



In days gone by, the Peregrine was used a great 

 deal in the chase. Falconry in those days was 

 considered a fit pastime for persons of high rank and 

 position in life ; but nowadays it is little used. The 

 falcons were distributed according to the rank of the 

 person ; thus the Gyr and the Peregrine were for 

 kings and princes, while the other falcons were 

 distributed according to their relative strength, 

 courage, and power of wing, to persons of different 

 degrees of rank. Even the peasant had a falcon 

 allotted to him — the Kestrel {Falco Tinmincuhis). 

 In falconry the male is called the " Jiercel, and the 

 female the Falcon," As in other falcons, there is 



great disparity of size between the two sexes ; the 

 female being from two to three inches longer than the 

 male ; she is heavier in proportion to her size ; and 

 she is hkewise possessed of more courage. 



The Peregrine is a bird possessed of first-rate 

 powers of flight. The final rush^ (that is flight, or 

 rush direct on to its prey) is perhaps not so swift as 

 that of the Gyr ; but in straightforward flight it is 

 thought by many to fly even swifter than the Gyr. 

 The rate at which the Peregrine flies is exceedingly 

 great, one hundred and fifty miles an hour being com- 

 puted as /;/// speed. The long pointed wings, together 

 with the ample tail of the Peregrine (which enables it 

 to hover, although not to such a degree of perfectioa 

 as the Kestrel), make escape almost a matter of impos- 

 sibility, as it can turn with such ease and quickness. 

 The finest flights, which bring out the Peregrine's 

 extraordinaiy power of wing, are those with wood- 

 cocks {Scolopax riisfieola) and curlews {Numeniin 

 ai-quata) — not on account of their excellent flight, but 

 because of their numerous turnings and twistings. 

 Those flights showing the dauntless courage and spirit 

 of the Peregrine, are with the Heron {Ardea ernered). 

 Both the birds being high and graceful fliers, some 

 good sport is seen ; and it is only by strategy and great 

 exertion that the Heron is at last brought down a 

 victim. Both strive to fly highest, for whilst below 

 its victim, the Falcon has little or no power 5 

 although one has been known to strike from below 

 When the Peregrine does get overhead, the Heron, 

 as a last resource, throws back his neck and protrudes 

 his bayonet-like bill in the face of his enemy ; and ia 

 that position awaits its dread onslaught. If the 

 Falcon be rash, and make a dash at its intended 

 victim, it will assuredly be transfixed on the spear- 

 like bill. This seldom occurs, for a good falcoa 

 would not do this, but, awaiting its opportunity, would 

 strike the wary Heron on the wing, and if it be 

 successful in disabling its foe, whilst descending to 

 the earth, it would follow close behind, and on the 

 Heron reaching the ground, soon put an end to its 

 existence. 



The Peregrine seldom or never strikes with his beak 

 when in pursuit of his prey; always with his for- 

 midable feet. So powerful is the force with which 

 the Peregrine strikes, that it has been known to cleave 

 birds open, to sever their heads from their bodies, 

 and even to cut a snipe in two. The Peregrine has 

 been known also to pursue and capture a bird while 

 having another partially eaten in the grasp of one of 

 its claws. The Peregrine spends a great portion of 

 its time on some high cliff by the seashore. It is a 

 sight worth seeing, to behold a Peregrine on one leg 

 on some crag which overhangs the sea, and notice 

 how it launches itself into the air, and, after marking 

 out a victim from a flock of seafowl disporting 

 themselves, dashing in among them, and amidst loud 

 screams of terror bearing off some unlucky guillemot 



cr tern {Steriia arcika). 



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