12 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



Hawks were specially trained for capturing- water-fowl, and a species 

 termed tlie " Rammag-e Lanner" devoted exclusively to such quarry.* 

 The g'oshawkj g"er- falcon, jerkin, hag'g'ard falcon, and tassel-g'entle 

 were also taug-ht to fly at wild-ducks that were found in ponds or 

 other inland waters. This was esteemed most exciting- sport, and the 

 wild-duck a g-ood prey ;t but the heron was always considered the fal- 

 coner's noblest quarry. Hawking- was also a sport in which the gentler 

 sex freely indulged ; and no expedition of the kind was deemed com- 

 plete, imless g-raced with the presence of a lady-falconer. The 

 eng-raving' opposite represents that method of falconry, as practised 

 in the Fens about the fifteenth century. It was usual, on excur- 

 sions of the kind, to be accompanied by a water-dog-, because the 

 hawk and its prey sometimes both fell in the water ; and in their 

 strug-g-les, the wild-fowl, from its g-reater power when on the surface of 

 that element, frequently imperilled the safety of the hawk by 

 plung-ing- and diving-. The fowler, meanwhile, watching- his bird, in 

 case of dang-er would send the dog- to the rescue ; which was so 

 trained that it never attempted to injure the hawk, but seized the 

 mallard, or whatever fowl it mig-ht be, and brought it to its master. 



During- the ag-e when falconry and archery were considered the first 

 and most distinguished pastimes in the land, sportsmen were extremely 

 tenacious about the preservation of wild-fowl, and more especially after 

 the passing of the bill against " shootynge with hayle shott,"! in refer- 

 ence to which, an original letter from Sir E. Bedingfield to the Earl of 

 Bath, written about that time (1548), shows the strong- feeling then en- 

 tertained as to the preservation of wild-fowl as quarry for the falconer.§ 



* Latham's Faulconry, book ii. : A.D. 1658. 



t Latham, book ii. 



J 2 and 3 Ed. VI., cap. 14. 



§ " My good Lorde,— I beseeeli you to take knowledge to move as yoLi sliall think 

 good for a redresse to be had for such persons as dayly do shoote in hande-gonues, 

 and beat at the fowles in ryvers and pyttes, so as ther is no fowle that do remayne 

 in the countrye ; a man disposed to have a flight wt. hawkes may seeke tenn myles 

 ere he fynde one eoople of fowls to fly at, wheare in all yeres past there shulde have 

 been founde in the same places vc. eoople of fowls. I have spoken to the clarke of 

 the peace within NorfoUi:, who asserteyned me by his book, not to be above the 

 number of iij persons entered into his booke for to shoote in gonnes, but surelie I 

 think ther be ^vt. in this shyre that daylie doth exercyse and practyse shooting at 

 fowle wt. there gonnes not so few as three score, of which number I cannot heare of 

 any that may spend of lands being their owne above iiij scr. lb. by yere. If this be 

 not reamyded, you wt. aU the rest of the nobilitie may put forth your hawkes to 

 breede and to keepe no more. And thus I beseeche God to have yor. Lordshippe 

 and my good Lady your wyfFe in moche honor. Yors. to comaunde, 



" Edmunde Bedingpiei,u." 

 — Vide The History and Antiquities of Hengrave ; hy John Gage, Esq., F.S.A. 



