HA WKING. 



129 



catchers in the neighbourhood watched them with the greatest 

 care. When the old ones had reared their young, and the 

 latter were full grown, two posts were stuck into the ground, 

 at a little distance from each other ; to the one was tied a 

 Partridge or a Pigeon by a small line, two or three yards long, 

 that they might have room to nutter about and attract by their 

 motion the eye of the Falcon ; to the leg of the Partridge or 

 Pigeon, they tied another string, in length about a hundred 

 yards, which ran through a hole in the other post, in order to 



Kestrels. 



draw the bait to that post, w.here a net, like a fishing-net, was 

 fixed, with a hoop in a semicircle of six feet in diameter. 

 This being pulled down, it went over and covered the post, 

 for which purpose there was another string fastened ta the 

 upper part of the hoop, which went through the first post, 

 to which the bait was tied. These two strings the Falcon- 

 catcher held in his hand, that he might pull the bait when he 

 pleased, and at the proper moment draw the net over his prize. 



i 



