366 Sebright\s Observations upo7i Ha'vcking. 



Hart, Mr. Edmund: Philosophical Enquiries ; or, an Examination and Re- 

 futation of most of the received Theories of Rain, Mist, Dews, Latent 

 Heat, Solar Raj'^s, Light, and Lunar Influences ; a Plan for preventing 

 Thunder and Hailstones; together with Drs, Herschell and Clarke's 

 Weather Table, &c. &c. In a Series of Letters. London. 12mo, pp. 84 . 



Sebright, Sir John SaunderSy Bart. : Observations upon Hawking, describing 

 the Mode of Breaking and Managing the several kinds of Hawks used in 

 Falconry. London. Pamph. 8vo, pp. 64. os. 6d. 



Before the appearance of this little tract, we were not aware that so 

 much of this ancient amusement of our princes still remained in the king- 

 dom. In the olden time a falconer was an indispensable personage in 

 the establishment of a nobleman ; but the invention of gunpowder, and 

 improved machines of destruction, have almost banished the falconer, 

 together with his occupation. The little work before us will, however, in 

 some degree, retrieve the sinking fame of this once fashionable amusement, 

 as it shows that training birds of prey for sport or use is perfectly practi- 

 cable, and that, as instruments of the chase, they are as effectual, and, at 

 the same time, just as rational, as the slaughtering gun, and certainly less 

 dangerous. 



Sir John informs us that professional falconers have been for many 

 years natives of the village of Falconsward, near Bois le Due, in Holland. 

 A race of them was there born and bred, whence supplies have been 

 drawn for the service of all Europe : but, as there has been no sufficient 

 inducement for the young men to follow the employment of their fore- 

 fathers, numbers are dead or worn out ; and there only remains John Pells, 

 now in the service of John Dawson Downes, Esq., of Old Gunton Hill, 

 Suffolk. 



The author has very accurately detailed the best method of taking, 

 rearing, and training the hunting hawks, with all the terms of falconry, 

 including feeding, tiring, &c. ; and also given concise descriptions of their 

 game, and directions for using them in the pursuit of it. 



The hawks enumerated by Sir John, which have been trained for the 

 field, are the slight falcon (Falco gentilis) and the goshawk (Falco palum- 

 barius), which are the species generally used in falconry. The former is 

 called a long-winged hawk, or one of the lure; the latter a short-winged 

 hawk, or one of the^i-^. 



The Icelander is the largest hawk that is known, and highly esteemed 

 by falconers, especially for its great powers and tractable disposition. The 

 gyr falcon is less than the Icelander, but much larger than the slight falcon. 

 These powerful birds are flown at herons and hares, and are the only 

 hawks that are fully a match for the fork-tailed kite. The merlin and 

 hobby are both small hawks, and fit only for small birds, as the blackbird, 

 &c. The sparrow-hawk (Falco iVisus) may be also trained to hunt : his 

 flight is rapid for a short distance, kills partridges well in the early season, 

 and is the best of all for landrails. 



Partridge, magpie, heron, and rook hawking are described, and in a way 

 which must be interesting to every sportsman. 



Sir John asserts, that " the slight falcon takes up his abode every year, 

 from October and November until the spring, upon Westminster Abbey, 

 and other churches in the metropolis. This is well known to the London 

 pigeon-fanciers, from the great havoc they make in their flights." 



The fork-tailed kites were much flown, some years ago, by the Earl o^ 

 Orford, in the neighbourhood of Alconbury Hill. 



