76 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



breakfasted, it is possible that the attempt may succeed, 

 especially if she is of a placid and philosophic turn of mind. 

 But do not think that success will, even then, be easily achieved. 

 You may very likely have to wait a long time. Different men, 

 of course, have different methods of persuading a newly-caught 

 hawk to feed ; but all agree that it is a very difficult job. Many 

 of the books advise the drawing of meat across her feet as she 

 stands on the fist, and repeating this until she begins to pick at 

 it. Perhaps I have never sufficiently tested this plan. I do not 

 think I can honestly say that I have ever drawn the seductive 

 morsel of meat more than a hundred times successively over the 

 feet of the unwilling feeder. But I must confess that the 

 process, even when protracted to this moderate length, is a 

 little tedious. For my own part I have found that, if she is 

 touched lightly on the shoulder with a finger of the right hand, 

 she will generally strike out with open beak in the direction of 

 the offending finger — not, of course, with any idea of eating any- 

 thing, or even any very defined intention of biting her assailant, 

 but in a mere spirit of anger and defiance. If, then, between 

 the moment of touching her and that when the blow with the 

 beak is struck you can substitute in the place of the finger 

 a juicy slice of raw beef, there is quite a good chance that she 

 will seize it. At the first trial she will not swallow it. Probably 

 she will bate off and make a scene. Nevertheless, a certain 

 taste of very delectable food will linger in her mouth, and when 

 peace is restored she will take note of this. At the second trial 

 she may possibly retain the meat a little longer, and make less 

 ado. By and by a small scrap of it may be torn off before she 

 gets rid of it ; and this, if it is at all sticky, and cannot be 

 flipped off with a shake of the head, will be swallowed. Now, 

 if everything is done very gently and quietly, there is a chance 

 that she may strike out again with some real notion that there 

 is food to strike at. Directly she takes the meat and gives 

 anything like a pull at it, let a morsel come off. If the meat is 

 really quite soft it will be easy to manage this. By degrees she 

 will, if hungry, begin to take more kindly to the lesson. As 

 often as you can get a small morsel seized by her, however 

 unwittingly, she will, if only to get rid of it, pull it with her 

 tongue down the natural lane where it is intended to go. And 

 at length she will voluntarily pull through the hood the viands 

 which are so very ready at her service. 



Let her then take as much as ever she will. It is not likely 

 to be very much. Keep her cither on your own fist or on the 

 fist of some assistant all through the first night, without allow- 



