268 OWL VERSUS HAWK. 



latter at once falls to the ground, enveloping in its 

 folds both the destroyer and the destroyed. 



Hawks are also captured, we are told, by Owls trained 

 to the purpose ; for, owing to the animosity existing 

 between day and night birds of jirey, the Ilawk, on 

 descrying the Owl, usually attacks it ; and when the Owl 

 has grappled with the latter, the fowler, who is on the 

 watch, covers both with a net prepared for the purpose. 



Hawks, we are further informed, are taken in springes, 

 fastened by means of a slip of leather to a Pigeon, 

 which, after a long string has been tied to its leg, is set 

 at liberty ; for when tlie Hawk is in the act of pouncing 

 on the bird, it gets its head in one or other of the snares, 

 and presently falls helpless to the ground. 



Hawks are also entrapped in the common flue-net, 

 set in such wise as to form a little quadrangle a few 

 feet in diameter. It is attached to sticks of consider- 

 able height, but with such slight materials as to give way 

 at the merest touch. The decoy-bird is left at large in 

 the little area, where, however, there is a sort of cooj), in 

 which it can take refuge on the coming of the enemy. 

 The Hawk, seeing the fowl or duck, as the case may be, 

 swoops down upon it, and experiences no difficulty in enter- 

 ing the little enclosure; but when it attempts returning 

 to the upper air, the confined space prevents the proper use 

 of its long wings, and, as a consequence, it presently 

 comes in contact with the net,' in the meshes of which it 

 is presently wrapped up, so to say. 



Another plan of making the Hawk captive — one recom- 

 mended by M. Grciff — is to suspend a net on four sticks of 

 about four feet in height, thus forming a sort of canopy, 

 under which the decoy-bird is placed. But the net, he 

 says, must be sufficiently large so as on all sides to reach 

 to the ground, in order that access to the Hen or Duck can 

 onlv be had from above. The material used for fastenino- 



