286 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN. 



before her during her initiatory practisings. Thus by 

 the perch trainers a black hen is attached to a stake to 

 teach the hunting of crow ; a red hen is used to imitate 

 the kite, and a grey turkey hen to represent the heron. 

 The bills and talons of the former are blunted, and the 

 beak of the latter being eased, or much shortened by 

 the saw (a much less cruel practice is that of inserting 

 the point of the bill firmly within the branch of a piece 

 of elder, as suggested by Sir John Sebright), one or the 

 other, as the case may be, is fastened to the stake, and 

 of course soon sacrificed; after which the hawk is 

 practised at either of these at liberty, but at minor 

 elevations at first. JMany of these hawks, however, 

 require some trouble Ijefore they can bring even their 

 rapacious courage up to the sticking point to attack a 

 heron. Sir John Sebright tells us, nevertheless, that 

 they may be brought to it by flying them at a barn- 

 door cock of a light colour ; and still more effectually 

 by tying meat upon the heron's back, and practising 

 them daily in feeding on it there, observing to guard 

 the heron's beak by the humane method just noticed. 

 In the early flying practices, should the falcon fly un- 

 successfully at its game, it is recommended not to take 

 the hawk down with the common lure, but by a live 

 pigeon held in a creance — as a disappointment of this 

 kind, without a kill, is apt to damp the ardour of the 

 bird in the pursuit of his game. 



The treatment of working hawks requires also some 

 mention. Whenthemaniaof falconry prevailed in Europe, 

 the falconers of those times indulged in this field sport 

 five or six days in the week, but in modern times three 

 days are considered sufficient for the flying of your 

 hawks at the quarry ; indeed, as many of the nobility 

 and v/ealthy gentlemen had two or three centuries ago 



