604 DEATH OF MR. HOY. — CHA*LK VENTRICULITE. 



falcon. When used or taken into the field, the wing of a 

 bird, or the thin end of an ox tail, is generally held in the 

 hand to engage their attention, which they are constantly bit- 

 ing and tearing without being able to satisfy their appetites, 

 as that would render them unfit for work. They do not require 

 to be hooded, but have bells attached to their legs, ( for the 

 purpose of giving notice of their situation when they alight, 

 which would otherwise be difficult to ascertain), and a leather 

 strap by which they are held ; it is also necessary to have 

 spaniels to hunt up the birds, upon the appearance of which, 

 the hawk flies from the hand with incredible swiftness direct 

 at the game, taking it generally in the first attempt, but should 

 he fail, he will perch on some elevated situation, and remain 

 until the game is again started, and is rarely known to miss a 

 second time ; when the hawk has captured the game, he is 

 rewarded with a small piece of meat, or a pigeon's head, to 

 induce him to give up the prey : if the hawk be allowed to 

 range at pleasure, by whistling it will return with a swiftness 

 truly astonishing, and finding it cannot stop suddenly to set- 

 tle without striking you with great force, it will glide past, 

 form a circle round you, and alight with the greatest ease, 

 and in the most gentle manner, upon the hand. — A. D. hart- 

 lett.—Nov. 20th, 1839. 



[The death of Mr. Hoy, whose contributions have often 

 appeared in the Magazine of Natural History, took place 

 about two months since, under peculiarly painful circumstan- 

 ces. He had placed a quantity of damp gunpowder in an 

 oven, for the purpose of drying, and which he unfortunately 

 omitted to remove. The result of this negligence was an ex- 

 plosion, which was expected to prove fatal to one of his ser- 

 vants ; and the anxiety of mind naturally attendant upon so 

 distressing an event, brought on an attack of fever which ter- 

 minated fatally at his residence in Suffolk. M. Hoy devoted 

 his time almost entirely to the cultivation of Ornithology, and 

 was in the frequent habit of visiting the continental localities 

 which are favourable for the resort of the British species 

 during the season of incubation. He was in possession of a 

 large share of valuable information relative to the indigenous 

 birds of this country ; and the readiness with which, at all 

 times, he was willing to aid the enquiries of his fellow-natu- 

 ralists, will render his loss a subject of sincere regret. — Ed.] 



Note on the Chalk- Ventriculite figured in page 352. — The 

 specimen is clearly the base of a Ventriculite, with the 

 radicle-processes attached to an Echinus ; for I cannot as- 

 sent to the remark, " that the Ventriculite cannot have been 



