GAME BIRDS. 95 



dogs: Roderick, king of Connaught, was obliged to furnish hawks 

 and greyhounds to Henry II. Henry VIII. presented the Marquis 

 Dessarages, a Spanish grandee, with two Irish hawks and four 

 Irish greyhounds, or wolf-dogs. 



The late lamented Duke of St. Albans, who has so recently died, 

 held the appointment of hereditary grand falconer, at a salary of 

 1,200 a year. His ancestor, the first Duke of St. Albans, was 

 son of Charles II., by the beautiful Nell Gwynne, of theatrical 

 notoriety : his title was conferred in 1684. He has made several 

 recent attempts to revive the ancient sport of hawking, in his cha- 

 racter of grand hereditary falconer of England, on his own estates ; 

 and he has also, during the time he took up his residence at Brigh- 

 ton, given the inhabitants of that fashionable watering-place, some 

 splendid displays, of the above sport, upon the neighbouring Downs, 

 attended by the Duchess of St. Albans, the Ladies Beauclerc, and 

 accompanied by several persons of distinction. Some of his best 

 hawks were imported from Germany. The females are always 

 preferred, being larger and more courageous than the males. 



The appearance of the Duke, in the splendid dress of his office, 

 and his attendants, all apparelled in the costume attached to falconry, 

 proved highly attractive to the spectators ; in truth, there was a 

 theatrical nicety about it altogether. 



Our respected fellow-citizen, Yelverton O'Keefe, Esq., has lately 

 gratified a numerous assemblage of nobility and gentry, by several 

 flights of his beautiful peregrine falcons, which, for killing and 

 training, could not be excelled. Mr. Robert Montgomery has since 

 flown some of them, with much success, in the neighbourhood of 

 Dublin. 



A very interesting exhibition of hawking, took place in the 

 neighbourhood of Amesbury, and was witnessed by a numerous 

 field of sporting gentlemen and others, attracted by curiosity. 

 The hawks, six in number, were remarkably fine young birds, and 

 their proprietor, Colonel Thornhill, directed the sport of the day, 

 in the presence of Sir Hussey Vivyan, Sir Francis Burdett, Mr. 

 Mills, and numerous other gentlemen, who were invited, on the 

 occasion. The scene of action was an extensive field of turnips, in 

 which it was known that there were partridges, in sufficient num- 

 ber for the purpose, and the ground was graced by several carriages 

 containing ladies. The hawks were brought to the field by the 

 colonel's falconer and assistant, perching, hooded upon a frame. 

 The sportsmen and spectators were ranged on the outside of the 

 field ; a fine bird was then taken from the perch, by the falconer, 

 unhooded, and permitted to fly. The hawk immediately lowered, 



