HAWKING. ■ G15 



castle of Loo, under the presidency of the King of the Netherlands, 

 iojly the Heron. They take from one to two hundred of these birds 

 in the space of two months ; but this is only a feeble resuscitation 

 of an institution which has now practically passed away. 



Falcons were formerly divided into birds of the nohle and inferior 

 grades. The former comprehended the Gyrfalcon, the Falcon, the 

 Hobbj^, the Merlin, and the Kestrel ; the latter, the Goshawk and 

 Sparrow-hawk. The name of Goshawk training has been given to 

 the art whose special end was the education of these last two birds. 

 As the mode of education varies little for all these birds, which 

 only differ in docility, we shall merely consider one species, that 

 of the Falcon, which will servo as a type for all the others. 



The Falcons destined for training must be captured young. 

 Those that have been providing their own food, and have nearly 

 reached maturity, are taken with a lure, which is generally 

 a Pigeon. Young birds which have just left the nest are called 

 eyases ; when rather more mature, branchers ; that is to say, birds 

 about three months old, strong enough to hop from branch to 

 branch, but incapable of flying or providing for their own sub- 

 sistence. The latter are preferable to all others, as they are not 

 so young as to require the care necessary to the eyas, and are yet 

 not old enough to have become intractable. At a year old it would 

 be nearly useless to attempt their education ; they are then called 

 haggards. 



The Falcon being naturally wild, violent, and alike insensible 

 to caresses and chastisements, it can only be tamed by priva- 

 tions, such as want of light, sleep, and food, and also by constantly 

 being cared for by the same person. This is the foundation of the 

 method which the falconer practises. 



Supposing that a brancher has been caught, its legs are first made 

 fast in the shackles, or bewits (Fig. 290), made of straps of supple 

 leather, terminated by bells. Then the falconer, his hand covered 

 with a glove, takes the Falcon on his wrist, and carries it about 

 night and day, without allowing it rest. If the pupil is in- 

 tractable, refuses to submit, and tries to use its bill, the tamer 

 plunges its head into cold water, and thus produces stupor in the 

 bird. Afterwards the head is covered with a hood [Fig. 291), which 

 keeps it in complete darkness. After three davs and nigb.ts of this 



