248 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAN. 



hawks of more pleasure, for you may flee her at such 

 times of the year as you can't the goshawk. Her keep- 

 ing ought to be delicate, and in regard she is so small 

 and weak, be sure to keep her high and lusty, yet with 

 due regard to the preparation of her stomach before 

 you take the field with her. She will kill, according to 

 the several seasons, diversity of game. She generally 

 delights to flee close to the ground, and will stoutly 

 attack the lapwing, ring-dove, jay, magpie, blackbird, 

 and the like game, and she may be made to hold out 

 all the summer. You should flee her from the hood, 

 and not let her spend her little strength, and disorder 

 herself, by unruly baiting, which happens by being 

 carried bare." Both the sparrow-hawk and goshawk, 

 be it remembered, must come to the field sharp set. 

 The short winged hawks do Viot fly iox flying sake, nor 

 fight like the ger-falcon and slight falcon with the heron, 

 for the very love of fighting; they, on the contrary, 

 must be stimulated by hunger to make them fierce. 

 It is mentioned in " Falconry in the British Isles " 

 that the chase of a blackbird with a sparrow-hawk 

 lasted twenty minutes. In its wild state the sparrow- 

 hawk is so determined in the pursuit of its quarry that 

 it has been frequently known to dash through a window, 

 in order to seize some cage bird ; and one has been seen 

 to force itself to such an extent into a blackthorn 

 bush, where it had killed a linnet, as to require to be 

 cut out. 



