432 Zoologyi 



various-coloured feathers on the top of the hood. The man walked in 

 the centre of the frame, with a strap from each side over each shoulder ; and 

 when he arrived at the spot fixed upon for the sport, he set down the frame 

 upon its legs, and took off all the falcons, and tethered them to the ground 

 in a convenient shady place. There were four men who had the immediate 

 care of the falcons (seemingly Dutch or Germans), each having a bag, 

 somewhat like a woman's pocket, tied to his waist, containing a live pigeon, 

 called a lure, to which was fastened a long string ; there were also some 

 gentlemen attached to the sport, who likewise carried their bags and lures. 



After waiting awhile, some herons passed, but at too great a distance ; 

 at length one appeared to be coming within reach, and preparations were 

 made to attack him. Each falconer was furnished with a brown leather 

 glove on the right hand (I suppose, to prevent the talons of the bird from 

 scratching it), on which the falcon perched ; and there was a small bit of 

 leather attached to the leg of the bird, and which was held by the falconer 

 between the thumb and linger. Each of the men thus equipped, with a 

 falcon on one fist, and the bag with the lure tied to the waist, and mounted 

 on horseback, proceeded slowly in a direction towards where the heron 

 was seen approaching. As soon as the heron was nearly opposite, and at 

 what I conceived a great height in the air, the falconers slipped the hoods 

 from off the heads of the falcons, and held each bird on the fist by the bit 

 of leather till the falcons caught sight of the heron, and then a most gal- 

 lant scene ensued. The instant they were liberated, they made straight for 

 their prey, though at a considerable distance ahead. As they were dashing 

 away towards the heron, a crow happened to cross; and one of them instantly 

 darted at him, but he struck into a plantation and saved himself: the fal- 

 con dashed in after him, but did not take him. The other falcon soon 

 overtook the heron (which immediately disgorged its ballast of two or 

 three fishes); and after flying round in circles for some time, at length soared 

 above him, and then struck him on the back ; and they both came tumbling 

 down together, from an exceeding great height, to the ground. The other 

 falcon, having lost some time with the crow, was flying very swiftly to assist 

 his comrade, and had just come up at the time the falcon and heron were 

 falling. At this instant, a rook happened to fly across ; the disappointed 

 falcon struck at him, and they both fell together within twenty yards of 

 the other falcon and the heron. When on the ground, each falcon began 

 to pull to pieces its victim ; but, as soon as the falconers rode up, the 

 lures were thrown out, and the falcons suffered to make a meal (having 

 previously been kept fasting) upon the pigeon, which was laid on the car- 

 cass of the heron; and, after they were satisfied, were again hooded and 

 put up for that day. 



The next cast consisted of two younger birds ; and when let loose at 

 another heron, they flew up to it very well. But the heron was an old 

 one, and supposed to have been caught before; for the moment he was 

 aware of his enemies below, he began to soar into the air, and set up a 

 loud croak : and these, not so experienced as the first two falcons, would 

 not attack him, but soared about and left him. Upon this, one of the fal- 

 coners set up a peculiar call, to which, no doubt, the birds were trained; 

 when one of them, from a very great elevation in the air, immediately 

 closed his wings, darted down to the man who called him, and was taken 

 in hand. This was a very extraordinary manoeuvre, and an instance of 

 tractable sagacity. The other falcon did not come to the call, but sailed 

 about in the air. At length a heron crossed, and the falcon attacked it, 

 but again left it. A third heron also came in his way : this he also fell to 

 work with, and, after a short struggle, brought him to the ground in the 

 same style as the first. This last heron had his wing broken, and the fal- 

 coner killed him; but the first was taken alive, and was afterwards 

 turned out before a single falcon, which struck him down in a minute. I 

 understood, that, when a heron had once been taken by a falcon, he never 



