58 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



quickly and others grudgingly. If all such efforts fail, or if 

 the hawks, being nearly grown up, bate and begin to dash 

 about, you must, of course, use rougher measures. To starve 

 them is worst of all. There is no harm, if all modes of per- 

 suasion fail, in " stuffing " a young hawk. Let her be held 

 firmly, and as she opens her mouth in defiance at the meat 

 offered, let the falconer push it inside her beak, and then, if she 

 will not swallow it, push it down with the small stick into 

 her throat. I have known an eyess hobby which had to be 

 " stuffed " with all her meals for eight days ! And afterwards 

 she became a fine hawk and a very strong flier. 



When all the hawks have taken a half-crop or so, they should 

 be left in peace in the darkened room for two hours at least. 

 It is a good thing, by the way, to put on each of them different- 

 coloured jesses, so that from the first they may be easily known 

 apart. Brown, yellow, white, orange, and black are perhaps the 

 best colours — not red, or pink, or green. Notes may also be 

 made from the first in a hawk-book or falconer's diary. As, for 

 instance, "June lo — Eyess peregrines arrived ; No. i : small fal- 

 con ; fed readily, and had nearly a full crop ; seems strong and 

 active ; outer wing feather about half down ; brown jesses and 

 hack bell. No. 2 : big tiercel or small falcon (uncertain) ; fed 

 with difficulty; half a crop ; seems timid and rather dull ; black 

 jesses." Of course, if the hawks are to be turned out as soon 

 as they can fly, no slits will be made in the outer end of the 

 jesses. Another thing which may very probably have to be 

 done is to clean the hawk's tail-feathers, and possibly the tips 

 of the wings, if soiled during the journey. This is done with 

 warm water, soap, and an old toothbrush. If the dirt is allowed 

 to get hard on the feathers it will be almost impossible to get it 

 off without fraying the web. The feet of each hawk should also 

 be well washed and brushed with soap and warm water; and it 

 is always as well to do the same with the nares, or else brush 

 them and the beak with a brush dipped in a solution of tobacco. 

 A fresh feed should be given at intervals of not more than five 

 hours between sunrise and sunset, i.e. three at least in the day. 

 In fact, young nestlings can hardly be fed too often or too much, 

 when they seem ready to eat. But the food should not often be 

 as heavy as beef Young pigeons, young chickens, bullock's heart, 

 and rabbits may be given to the big hawks ; small birds — fresh- 

 killed always — and sheep's heart to the small ones. Old pigeons 

 are rather too heating, and old fowls are too tough. Whenever 

 butcher's meat is given, it should be slightly warmed first, but not 

 dipped in water. The hawks must be kept quite dry, and in a 



