30 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



hawking, for he so often makes allusions to 

 it as an everyday affair ; the hawk in those 

 days was to sportsmen what the gun is now. 

 Hawks, however, were never so well trained 

 as the Chinamen's cormorants, for they would 

 not bring in the game ; in fact, it needs a good 

 deal of care to keep a hawk from carrying off 

 anything it has caught, which it is very likely 

 to do if not treated gently and carefully. 

 Hawks were also very likely to fly off alto- 

 gether and get lost, and this is not to be 

 wondered at, for a great many were full- 

 grown wild -caught birds, though some were 

 also hand-reared from the nest. 



When at home hawks were kept in a place 

 called a " mews," on perches or blocks, to 

 which they were tied by a leather leash, 

 which was fastened to the ends of short 

 straps or "jesses," tied one to each leg. 

 These were always left on, but the leash was 

 slipped when the bird was let loose after its 

 prey. To keep them quiet when at home, or 

 when being carried on their owner's wrist to 

 the place where they were used, they had 

 hoods placed over their heads, covering their 

 eyes completely, and when it was necessary to 



