RABBIT-HAWKING WITH THE GOSHAWK 219 



conclusively shown elsewhere ' that flying falcons at 

 grouse does not spoil the moor for shooting, and it is 

 the same with the goshawk when flown at rabbits. 

 All is done so quietly, that one may capture a dozen 

 rabbits in an afternoon without disturbing the game 

 half so much as if a dozen shots were fired. On this 

 question the following letter, received from one who 

 has tried it, is to the point : ' Having enjoyed four 

 seasons' hawking with a well-known sportsman, who 

 has about 5,000 acres of shooting, I have heard it said 

 by many, and have noticed it myself, that we found 

 more game on ground where we had had three 

 seasons' haw^king, than on those portions of the farm 

 where we could not hawk. I hope the good old 

 sport will increase.' 



To show what success may be attained even in the 

 first season with a young goshaw^k, we may refer to 

 the bag made by a falconer still living. In his first 

 season with a young female goshawk (better than a 

 male because larger and stronger) he took 322 rabbits, 

 3 hares, and 2 magpies, and the following season 

 280 rabbits, 2 leverets, 11 partridges, 4 magpies, and 

 2 squirrels. 



A well-trained goshawk, belonging to Mr. John 



' Hi)its on the Management of Hawks ^ second edition, 1898, 

 pp. 89-92. 



