192 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



attack tliem on the ground, but will not follow them 

 on the Aving. For this reason the chyi-ee, a hawk well 

 known in India, is flown the moment the hubara rises. 

 " As we rode along in an extended line, the men who 

 carried the cherkhs every now and then unhooded and 

 held them up, that they might look over the plain. 

 The first hubara we found afforded us a proof of the 

 astonishing quickness of sight of one of the hawks; 

 he fluttered to be loose, and the man who held him 

 gave a whoop, as he threw him off his hand, and set off 

 at full speed. We all did the same ; at first we only saw 

 our hawk skimming over the plain, but soon perceived 

 at a distance of more than a mile the beautiful speckled 

 hubara, with head erect and wings outspread, running 

 forward to meet his adversary. The cherkh made several 

 unsuccessful pounces, which were either evaded or repelled 

 by the beak or wings of the hubara, which at last found 

 an opportunity of rising, when a chyree was instantly 

 flown, and the whole party was again at full gallop. 

 We had a flight of more than a mile, when the hubara 

 alighted, and was killed by another cherkh, who attacked 

 him on the ground. This bird weighed ten pounds. 

 We killed several others, but were not always successful, 

 having seen our hawk twice completely beaten during 

 the two days following. When at Shirag, our author 

 observes, the Alchee had received a present of a very 

 fine shahbrey, or royal falcon. Before going I had 

 seen Nutee Beg, our head falconer, a man of great 

 experience in his department, put upon his bird a 

 pair of leathers, which he fitted to its thighs with as 

 much care as if he had been the tailor of a fashionable 

 horseman. I inquired the reason of so unusual a pro- 

 ceeding. ' You will know that,' said the consequential 



