276 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



plenty of exercise. Adrian Mollen told me that a fellow-country- 

 man of his, vilipending his passage hawks which he was then train- 

 ing for the campaign at herons at the Loo, offered to bet that three 

 of his own pigeons would beat any hawk Mollen could produce. 

 As the hawks were not Mollen's, and it is always quite on the 

 cards that a flight at a fast pigeon may result in the loss of 

 the hawk, the falconer had to ask leave before accepting the 

 bet. The king's brother, who then represented the Loo Club in 

 Holland, readily gave permission, and, I think, also offered to 

 pay if the hawk lost. Anyhow, a day was fixed, and a small 

 party assembled on the most open part of the Loo. The fal- 

 coner had stipulated that he should give the signal for the release 

 of the pigeons by the owner. His fastest falcon was then put on 

 the wing, and as she waited on Mollen gave the word. The 

 pigeon started ; the hawk stooped, and, after a good flight, killed. 

 She was allowed to eat the brain, and the rest of the pelt was 

 thrown to the disconcerted fancier. A second pigeon was then 

 prepared. The hawk again waited on, and the signal was again 

 given. This time, however, the pigeon was taken at the first 

 stoop. " Out with your third pigeon," cried Mollen, elated with 

 the double victory. But the countryman elected to pay, and 

 not to play. " My third gold piece is lost anyhow," he sadly 

 remarked. " Better pay my money, and save my remaining 

 pigeon, than find I have to lose both." 



The statement that a peregrine cutting down a grouse or 

 partridge without binding kills it " stone-dead " in the air, is 

 doubtless occasionally true. But to suppose that this is a com- 

 mon occurrence would be a great mistake. Much more often 

 the partridge is stunned or dazed, the wing broken, or the back 

 or neck dislocated. But the force with which a game-bird comes 

 down when hit in the air is often very great, and enough in itself 

 to almost fatally bruise it. I have mentioned that a falcon of 

 Major Fisher's knocked down a grouse on fairly level ground 

 which, so great was the impact, rebounded from the earth, and 

 came down again fifteen yards from the place where it first fell. 

 Larks and other birds often dash themselves hard against the 

 ground in shifting downwards from the stoop, and bound up 

 again like balls. 



Peregrines, when on their day and intent on killing, will 

 sometimes do more execution than would readily be believed. 

 Not very long ago a tiercel stooped at a covey, cut down a bird, 

 and threw up with the intention of descending to seize the victim. 

 But at the height to which his impetus had carried him up he 



