258 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



selves naturally with a clinging grip to the object of which they 

 take hold, adhering so closely to a glove or any soft surface 

 that they seem almost to be glued or stuck to it, and can only 

 with difficulty be removed. In fact, the feet of some hawks, 

 when they have taken a firm hold, can only be got off by pick- 

 ing the talons or claws out one after another with the hand. 

 The hawks which thus clutch are almost always good killers 

 in the field. Many falconers attach some importance to the 

 colour of a hawk's feet. Major Fisher declares that a nestling 

 peregrine with yellow feet is of little worth, and that the best 

 colour is lead-grey or greenish grey. Merlins in their early 

 days often have very pale feet, but some of the best of them, 

 when in high condition and fed daily on freshly-killed larks, will 

 put on a bright yellow and even a somewhat orange hue. 

 Bright colours are undoubtedly a sign of health, though they 

 may not be of strength, speed, or courage. The power which a 

 hawk has in her feet seems usually to be a sure indication of 

 corresponding vigour in the rest of her body. 



The head of a specially good hawk is seldom big or round, 

 but wedge-shaped, narrowing from the back rapidly towards the 

 base of the beak, and rather flat on the top than dome-shaped ; 

 and there is a prominent eyebrow, with a keen eye, very full 

 and bright. The shoulders come very high up, and are square, 

 as they would be called in a man. There is a great deal of 

 breadth in the upper back and in the breast, where the pectoral 

 muscles are situated, and these muscles may be felt by the 

 hand extending in a firm and ample bulk under the upper 

 points of the wings. The wings themselves have also an 

 appearance of size and strength, and each feather, if separated 

 from the next, is seen to have a broad web and stout shaft. 

 The same may be said of the tail feathers ; but in these no 

 extra length is desirable. A short tail with plenty of strength 

 and solidity is better both for useful and ornamental purposes ; 

 and a hawk with a long flexible train like a kestrel is not to be 

 preferred. A strong and fast hawk often folds her wings close 

 together, so that the points cross one another quite high up 

 over the tail. The nostrils of a hawk should be large, and the 

 beak short. No indication can be derived from the general 

 colour of the feathers, whether dark or light. As regards size, 

 there is a prejudice against big falcons and small tiercels ; but 

 this does not hold good with regard to the short-winged hawks, 

 in which strength is often the chief desideratum. In the case of 

 peregrines a very large falcon is often clumsy; and the majority 



