300 REMIXISCEXCES OP A SPOETSMAX. 



meat, Avhich on these occasions you are in the habit of 

 giving her. To take a pheasant from the perch, Blome 

 recommends the following initiatory process : — " Provide 

 a dead pheasant, or in preference a living one, which 

 take along with you into the wood, and when you are 

 disposed to call your hawk for her supper, and as she 

 is drawing and attending after you for the same (having 

 a convenient pole ready for that purpose,) call your 

 spaniels about you to make them bay, and suddenly 

 breaking the neck of the pheasant, lift it upon a bough, 

 that the hawk may have a sight thereof, and with your 

 voice calling and encouraging her to come and seize it, 

 and if she pulls it down be sure that you so rebuke the 

 dogs and keep them at command,- that at her descending 

 they may give her way, and that she plume and take 

 her pleasure thereon, which in a short time will em- 

 bolden her, that when she seeth a pheasant take, she 

 will immediately pull it down." 



Waterfoavl Hawking. 

 Brook hawking, formerly made use of, was much 

 in fashion in olden times ; but this kind of hawk- 

 ing was not confined to small streams, but extended 

 to rivers, sea shores, moors, and lakes. According to 

 Blome, " By the ger-falcon, the haggard falcon, and the 

 tassel gentle, waterfowl of every description were made 

 the prey of ; but some particular birds according with 

 the training of the hawks, were more especially sought 

 for." Water spaniels were chiefly employed to flush the 

 birds, more particularly where there was strong cover of 

 reeds, rushes, &c. The spaniels were directed by men 

 on foot to those quarters which should probably be the 



