32 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



down with a swoop, and does not care about 

 dodging among trees or coming near the sur- 

 face of water, so that a place had to be found 

 where the hawk could have a good long fly 

 after the victim before this could get near 

 wood or water. It is particularly important 

 at starting the hawk's training to make sure it 

 catches the birds it is let loose after, for it is 

 easily made sulky by failure, and often the 

 poor birds used for practice were tethered or 

 had their eyes sewn up to keep them from 

 escaping. 



The favourite hawk with boys and ladies 

 was the merlin, a very pretty little hawk 

 hardly as big as a pigeon, and looking very 

 like a miniature of the peregrine falcon ; it 

 was particularly used for flying at skylarks, 

 and is very bold and persevering. 



With birds that fly high, like herons and 

 larks, it was usual to use a " cast " or couple 

 of hawks, so that when one had missed a swoop 

 the other could cut in, as two greyhounds do 

 when they are chasing a hare. 



Sport with the goshawk, which is like a 

 giant sparrow - hawk, was rather different ; 

 this bird cannot fly fast for any distance, and 



