46 Practical Bird-Kp:eping. 



plan is, I believe, followed in the Giza Zoological Gardens with 

 excellent results. Fowls' heads, in additioji to the usual rations 

 are very useful here, but whatever ' fur' be given the bird should 

 on this day have a gorge, that is to say be given double rations, 

 the remnants of which need not be removed till the next morn- 

 ing. On the day following the 'gorge' it should be fasted. By 

 this means almost any Hawk can be kept in the finest trim and 

 condition. The birds, however, will require watching during the 

 moult, which commences in the early part of the summer, and 

 then they will require rather more generous feeding, which has 

 to be continued well on into the autumn, long after the moult 

 has ceased ; by November, however, a return may be made to 

 the ordinary rations. The amount of food that should be given 

 at any meal can be easily judged by the actions of the bird. If 

 it has not all been eaten at one sitting too much has been given, 

 and if, on the other hand, he is ready for more when the surplus 

 food is being removed his dinner has erred on the ' short' side. 

 I am afraid that when written down all this may sound very 

 complicated, but it is not so in practice, it is quite easy to make 

 a rule not to feed the birds on Sunday and to give them larger 

 rations with chopped tow on Saturday, and that is all that is 

 essential. Of course, anyone who cannot take sufficient interest 

 to find out when his birds are in moult should not keep birds. 



Next comes the question of water for iiathing and drinking, 

 for the latter purpose water is not necessary, and I cann.ot 

 remember ever seeing a Hawk drink, though good observers 

 have stated that they do, but many species undoubtedly like a 

 bath at times, even though they are not great bathers. The best 

 bath is a large rectangular tray, about four inches deep, which 

 may be put in on fine bright days. Hawks properly kept are, 

 like most birds, very seldom ill ; if, however, they appear out-of- 

 sorts I have generally found that a day without food, followed by 

 a good meal off a freshly-killed warm bird or rat, and then giving 

 them for some days as much ' iur ' as possible soon brought them 

 back to health. 



The species of Hawks, though numerous, are all so alike 

 in habits that the same treatment will do for all, especially the 

 larger kinds. There are, however, some delightful small species, 



