34-2 Habits, Nidification, Sfc, 



with small sticks, pieces of heath, and wool, with a little moss 

 sometimes intermixed, lined with wool, fine grass, and feathers. 

 It lays five eggs, rather less than those of the common 

 thrush, pale bluish white, sprinkled all over with ash- coloured 

 spots running into each other at the larger end. There is not 

 much difference between the plumage of the young and that 

 of the adults. 



The manner in which this bird is used by falconers, in 

 assisting them to catch hawks for falconry, shows that the 

 term excubitor has not been given it w^ithout reason. As 

 the method may not be known to many of your readers^ 

 I will briefly describe it. 



The village of Falconswaard, in North Brabant, has been 

 long famed for its falconers ; it formerly sent out men well 

 practised in this art to every country in Europe; and the 

 few efficient falconers still remaining (as this diversion has 

 been of late years almost wholly laid aside on the Continent 

 as well as in this country) are natives of the village of 

 Falconswaard. The hawks are generally caught during the 

 months of October and November, when they are on their 

 passage towards the southern parts of Europe. The falconer 

 constructs a low turf hut in an open part of the country, with 

 a small opening on one side ; at about a hundred yards' dis- 

 tance from the hut a light- coloured pigeon is placed in a hole 

 in the ground covered with turf, with a string attached to 

 it which reaches to the hut ; another pigeon is placed in a 

 similar situation on the opposite side at the same distance^ 

 At ten yards' distance from each pigeon a small bow net is 

 fixed on the ground, so arranged as to be pulled quickly 

 over by means of a piece of small iron wire made fast to 

 the net, and reaching to the hut : the string by which the 

 pigeon is held passes through a hole in apiece of wood driven 

 into the ground in the centre of the bow net. The falconer 

 has also a decoy pigeon in a string at a short distance froni 

 the hut; and several tame pigeons at liberty on the outside, 

 which, on sight of a hawk, immediately take shelter within. 

 The butcher bird (Lanius exciibitor) is fastened by a leather 

 thong on a hillock of turf, a yard in height and a few yards 

 distant from the hut ; a small hole is made, and a piece of 

 turf laid over, for a place of retreat in case of danger. 



The falconer, employing himself in some sedentary occupa- 

 tion, observes every motion of his little watch, and it is almost 

 incredible at how great a distance he will point a falcon in the 

 air. If it approaches, he shows symptoms of alarm, drawing 

 in his feathers, and fixing his eyes in the same direction : on 

 a nearer approach, he screams aloud ; the falcon being then. 



