42 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



probably augments the terror inspired in the quarry by a stoop 

 that has only just missed its mark. Bells have been used in all 

 countries from time immemorial. The best are now made in 

 India; but for the larger hawks, those supplied by Mr. Mollen, 

 at Valkenswaard, in Holland, are good enough, and very cheap. 

 The European bells are spherical, with a plain flat shank (Fig. 

 2), and those of Indian manufacture are of the shape shown 

 in the illustration (Fig. 3). Anciently, silver was much used for 

 bells for the more valuaMe hawks, but the metal now used is 

 chiefly brass. A good bell should be capable of being heard 

 distinctly on a still day more than a quarter of a mile, even if 

 lightly moved. The bell is attached to the hawk's leg by a 

 " bewit," which is fastened on in the same way as the jess. The 

 bewit is a small strip of leather shaped as in Fig. 5. It is 

 pulled through the shank of the bell until the latter is at the 

 place indicated by the dotted line near the middle. The shank 

 is applied to the hawk's leg above the jess, and the end (A) is 

 passed round the leg and pushed through the slit (B). Then 

 the thicker end is pushed through the slit at the thin end, 

 and pulled till the ears or jags at the side have come through 

 the opening. These then act as barbs to prevent the end 

 slipping back, and the thin part of it can be cut off. Hack 

 bells are used not only to give notice where the hawk is, 

 but also to serve as a weight to handicap her when, at the 

 end of her time of liberty, she begins to chase chance quarry. 

 They are therefore much bigger, in proportion to the size of 

 the wearer, than the bells used in the field. A falcon's or tiercel's 

 bell will not be too big for a merlin or jack. Sometimes hawks' 

 bells are even loaded with lead. A merlin which is flying 

 ringing larks does not wear bells, for it is impossible to get 

 any which are sufficiently light, and at the same time loud 

 enough to be of any use. 



Short-winged hawks should generally be belled on the tail, 

 and for this purpose the bewits should be of a different shape, 

 as in Fig. 4. The aperture on each side of the bewit should be 

 made to encircle the shaft of one of the " deck " feathers, that is, 

 the central feathers of the tail, near to its base ; and the double 

 ends (C, C) should be lapped or tied together with waxed thread, 

 so that the fastening cannot slip from its place. 



Of course when it is intended to put on new jesses or bewits, 

 the hawk must be " cast," or held. And some considerable 

 attention is required to cast a hawk properly. To seize an 

 unhooded hawk, especially short-winged, and forcibly thrust her 

 down on her breast would constitute, in her eyes, a deadly and 



