42 JUNGLE FOLK 



captured in the morning and has been carried round in 

 a bag with us, is let go. He flies in a very stiff manner. 

 When he has flown some eighty yards the peregrine isun- 

 hooded and let go after him. She at once flies upwards, 

 and in a few seconds is above the crow, who, seeing her, 

 drops to the ground and lies there on his back prepared 

 to show fight. The falcon stoops at him, but seems 

 to be afraid to tackle him on the ground. The falconer 

 then runs up to him and tries to make him get up ; 

 but he refuses, so he is picked up and thrown into the 

 air. The falcon at once stoops at him, but before 

 she reaches him the crow has again dropped to the 

 ground, and still the falcon refuses to close with him. 

 " That bird is of no use," is the comment of my 

 host, an assertion which I do not feel inclined to 

 contradict. 



The only other kinds of falconry I have witnessed 

 are those with hawk-eagles {SpizcBtus nepalensis), 

 shikras (Asttir badius), and merlins {Msalon regulus). 

 Hodgson's hawk-eagle is so large a bird that to watch 

 him dashing after his quarry is a fine sight. It is said 

 that this species can be trained to capture chinkara 

 (Gazella hennetti). However, I have only seen it in 

 pursuit of a hare that had been previously caught and 

 then let loose. The hawk-eagle overtook this before 

 it had gone fifty yards. 



Hawking with the shikra is, in my opinion, very poor 

 sport, for this little bird of prey makes but one dash 

 at its quarry, and at once desists if this does not enable 

 it to overhaul it. It is usually flown at quails or mynas. 

 While waiting for its victim it is carried on the hand. 



