principal sports of mankind and espe- graphical races are given varietal names, 

 cially of the nobility. Hawks may be The duck hawk (Falco peregrinus ana- 

 trained to a high degree of efficiency in turn) is one of the representatives in 

 the capturing of other birds. It is said America. "The food of this hawk con- 

 that the Chinese knew of this character- sists almost exclusively of birds, of which 

 istic of the Hawks at least two thousand water-fowl and 1 shore birds form the 

 years before the time of Christ. In Japan greater part." 



the art of falconry was practiced about The Hawks of our illustration are na- 



six or seven hundred years before Christ, tives of North America ranging from 



The art is also believed to be repre- Mexico northward. The American 



sented in a bas-relief found in the Khor- Rough-legged Hawk (Archibuteo lago- 



sahad ruins in which a falconer is appar- pus sancti-johannis) is a geographical 



ently bearing a hawk on his wrist. Thus variety of a rough-legged form that is 



these ancient ruins of Nineveh show that found in northern Europe and Asia. It 



the art must have been known at least is also known by the names of Black 



seventeen hundred years before Christ. Rough-legged and Black Hawk. 



That falconry was known to the an- This Hawk is one of the largest and 



cient races of Africa is highly probable, most attractive of all the species of North 



though there is but little in the earlier America. Dr. Fisher tells us that "it is 



written history of that continent regard- mild and gentle in disposition, and even 



ing it. Egyptian carvings and drawings, when adult may be tamed in the course 



however, indicate without a doubt that of a few days so that it will take food 



the art was there known centuries ago. from the hand and allow its head and 



Falconry is still practiced to some extent back to be stroked. When caged with 



in Africa. other species of hawks, it does not as a 



The art, though not obsolete in those rule fight for the food, but waits until 



countries of Europe where, in the mid- the others have finished, before it begins 



die ages, it was regarded as the greatest to eat." 



and most noble of all sports, is not na- In spite of its large size and apparent 



tional in its character. During the reign strength it does not exhibit the spirit that 



of William the Conqueror laws were en- is so characteristic of the falcons. It preys 



acted in England which were most strin- almost entirely on field mice and other 



gent regarding falconry. At one time rodents, frogs- and probably, at times 



"falcons and hawks were allotted to de- and in certain localities, upon insects 



grees and orders of men according to especially the grasshoppers. It is said 



rank and station, to royalty the jerfalcon, that they will feed upon lizards, snakes 



to an earl the peregrine, to a yeoman the and toads. They do not molest the poul- 



goshawk, to a priest the sparrow-hawk, try of the farmer or the game birds of the 



and to a knave or servant the useless kes- field, forest or of our water courses, at 



trel." least not to any extent. Their size and 



To train a hawk for this sport requires their slow and heavy flight would nearly 



great skill and patience. The temper, always give sufficient warning to permit 



disposition and, in fact, every peculiarity the ordinary fowls to seek cover, 



of each individual bird must be carefully No better evidence as to the character 



studied. In these respects it may be said of its food can be furnished than the re- 



that no two birds are exactly alike. Tech- suits of the examination of forty-nine 



nically the name falcon, as used by the stomachs as related by Dr. 'Fisher. Of 



falconer, is applied only to the female of these forty contained mice ; five, other 



the various species used in the conduct- mammals; one, lizards; one, the remains 



ing of this sport. of seventy insects (this specimen was 



The peregrine falcon or hawk is us-- killed in Nebraska) ; and four, were 

 ually accepted as the type falcon of fal- empty. It is interesting to note "that the 

 conry. The name peregrine, from the southern limit of its wanderings in win- 

 Latin peregrinus, means wandering, and ter is nearly coincident with the south- 

 refers to the fact that this species is al- ern boundary of the region Inhabited by 

 most cosmopolitan, though the geo- meadow mice " 



S3 



