THE HEN HARRIER 197 



game rearing time and also to chickens at the nesting period, when 

 the birds are readily shot, it is ever prone to swoop down upon 

 pigeons and young poultry, on or about dovecotes, in stack-yards 

 and poultry-yards, and upon game, when the gun has little chance 

 of being effective; therefore recourse is had, albeit illegal, to 

 trapping. 



FIG. 115. HAWK OR POLE TRAP. 



The trap usually employed for the sparrow-hawk is circular, 

 4 to 6 in. in diameter and made with or without teeth ; there is 

 also a humane hawk-trap of which the rasped jaws are protected 

 with india-rubber for catching the bird alive without injuring it. 

 The trap is placed on a pole standing about 6 ft. out of the ground 

 and firmly fixed upright, placing 2 ft. in the earth, selecting a 

 place over which the hawk beats frequently. A small bird or piece 

 of meat is secured by fine wire on the plate as bait, and the hawk 

 seeing it, swoops about, and after sundry feigned darts makes a full 

 venture and is caught. Fluttering and screeching ensues, the trap, 

 secured to the pole, falls and the hawk dangles in the air. 



HEN HARRIER. This bird is a terror to the moorland game 

 preserver, and the only advantage that it confers is on those culti- 

 vating the soil, always providing the pursuits are not intensive 

 and embrace the dovecote and poultry-yard. This, and other 

 large hawks may be trapped by first capturing their young and 

 pegging one or more to the ground, and surrounding it or them 

 by concealed traps, such as the Large Hawk Trap with 5 or 8 in. 

 jaws, fitted with double springs and setters. This highly-effective 

 mode succeeds by reason of the old birds seeing or hearing their 

 " cry/' and attempting to release them. In like manner, if part of 

 a bird or animal killed by a hawk can be found, and this surrounded 

 with concealed traps, capture usually results, as the hawk usually 

 returns, sometimes after the lapse of several days, to finish its meal. 



The GYRFALCON and the GOSHAWK are so rare in Britain that 

 the sight of either or both suffices to bring out expert shooters, even 

 amongst foresters, farmers, and gardeners, who in sentiment are 



