22 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



found in the southern portion of the temperate zone, especially 

 on the African and other shores of the Mediterranean. 



The falcons and strong tiercels will fly well at partridges, 

 pigeons, and doves. Quails, of course, are easily taken by 

 them, as they are exceedingly fast on the wing. If a cast of 

 haggards could be trained for peewit or snipe, and well entered, 

 they would probably have as good a chance as any hawk which 

 could be selected for these difficult flights. 



Lesser Falcon {Falco mmor) 



This hawk very much resembles the last, but has longer legs, 

 and a slight rufous tinge on the plumage. It is found chiefly 

 in South Africa. 



The Punic Falcon {F. punicus\ the Javanese Falcon 

 {F. vielanogenys), and the CHILIAN FALCON (/^ cassini), all 

 more or less resemble the peregrine, but with variations in the 

 colour of the plumage, and of smaller dimensions. 



Saker {Falco sacer^ 



The measurements of this hawk, as of a great many others, 

 are given in the so-called scientific books, even of highest 

 repute, with hopeless inaccuracy. One of the authorities which 

 is most often referred to gives the length of the female saker as 

 i8| inches, or the same as the peregrine, whereas every naturalist 

 ought to know that the saker is a very much larger bird. On 

 the other hand, the Royal Natural History (1895), coming much 

 nearer the truth, says that " the female falls but little short of 

 25 inches, and the male measures more than 18^." The pro- 

 portions of this hawk, excepting the feet, do not differ greatly 

 from those of the ger, although the colourings and general 

 appearance are completely dissimilar. The weak point, from 

 the falconer's point of view, is the smallness of the feet and 

 shortness of the middle toe, as well as the poor quality of the 

 feathers, which have about them none of the glossy smartness 

 so noticeable in the ger and the peregrine. 



Young birds have the crown and nape buffy white, lighter 

 on the forehead and over the eyebrows, and in other parts pro- 

 fusely streaked with dark brown. The upper plumage is a 

 rather dull dark brown, with fulvous and rufous buff edgings. 

 The tail, excepting the deck feathers, is marked with irregular 

 oval spots, which range themselves into a sort of band. There 



