THEIR HABITS. 243 



falcons, and will thrive upon a coarser description ; 

 rabl)its and rats, with a little beef, being perhaps the 

 best diet they can have. They can be moulted very 

 well upon the low perch ; and as this hawk generally 

 baits in one direction, a bath made from a large earthen- 

 ware cream bowl should be sunk in the ground, within 

 reach of the leash, on the side towards which it does 

 not go when baiting. In the field this hawk wall not 

 always come readily to the fist ; as, for instance, in a 

 sulky fit upon missing its game : under these circum- 

 stances a lure of a dead rabbit or bird may be used to 

 advantage. Although it is a bad habit to indulge its 

 obstinacy in any way, beef is the most attractive bait 

 to offer this or any other hawk. With the dogs em- 

 ploj-ed in hunting with the goshawk the bird shoidd 

 be well acquainted, as it is very shy of anything strange ; 

 or if a ferret is used for bolting the rabbits from their 

 holes, tire bird must be equally well acquainted with it ; 

 if kept and fed in each other's company, this acquaint- 

 ance is soon effected. Immediately upon the capture 

 of a rabbit the falconer should go up and kill it, re- 

 warding the hawk with morsels from the head, such as 

 the eyes, tongue, brains, &c. This will induce the 

 bird to seize its game by the head, the only part it can 

 fix upon. Goshawks do not appear to suffer from 

 standing idle for a long time, as after a week or ten 

 days' drilling they work as well as ever. They should 

 never be flown when at all wet, as they are almost sure 

 under such circumstances to take perch. As they are 

 very powerful in their feet, and when feeding are apt 

 to use their talons indiscriminately, it is advisable that 

 the hand be well protected by a strong buckskin glove. 

 The colour of the young goshawks differs considerably 



