A BIRDLOVER'S YEAR 



the shorter- winged hawks. The falcons are 

 more graceful birds, and excel the hawks 

 in speed of flight. Falconry and hawking 

 were, therefore, two different terms used 

 for the different branches of a noble pas- 

 time, to distinguish the kind of birds 

 which were employed and the kind of 

 quarry pursued. 



To-day, falconry is but little practised in 

 the British Isles (which along with Holland, in 

 former days, were the two European countries 

 where that sport was much in vogue). The 

 enclosure of land and, above all, the " shoot- 

 ings " of to-day have undoubtedly been the 

 causes of the decline of falconry ; but it will 

 ever remain one of the finest sports, and the 

 training of hawks and falcons is really a 

 fine art, which has to be seen in order to be 

 fully appreciated. Doubtless there is also 

 something to be said against hawking on 

 account of the element of cruelty which 

 pervades it, but that, alas, has to figure in 

 every sport of the kind. 



Among the Arabs and Persians, and in 

 North- Western India, falconry is still largely 

 indulged in, and the training of hawks is 

 reduced to a marvellous finesse. All those 



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