320 FLORA HISTORICA. 



appears to have been more a practice of necessity 

 than amusement. He mentions that the men beat 

 the woods, bushes, and reeds, to spring the game, 

 Nvhen the liawks flew over them, and beat them to 

 the ground, so that they were easily taken by the 

 hand. And that the hawks were properly trained in 

 those days, we learn from his stating, that, during 

 the season for hawking, these birds would give the 

 falconers signs, by their manner of cry and flying 

 together, that there was good game abroad, and 

 thus draw them to the field. 



Falconry seems to have continued in high repute 

 in England, till about the time of the Usurpation, 

 after which it gradually declined ; but so late as 

 the reign of James I. it was pursued with such 

 ardour, that Sir James Monson is said to have given 

 a thousand pounds for a cast of hawks, which was 

 an amazing sum, when we take into consideration 

 the value of money in that day. 



We have been led into this digression by having 

 lately witnessed the revival of this ancient recrea- 

 tion. But to return to the plant that has, by its 

 name, called forth these brief remarks on the sports 

 of our ancestors. 



We have no less than eighteen native species of 

 this genera of plants, and Martyn mentions thirty- 

 seven exotic species, most of which are regarded 

 as weeds. M. Pirolle mentions another specie?. 



