302 EEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



to hunt after anything. Nor is it convenient to hunt 

 with many spaniels, for two or three couples are enough 

 to beat and range about a large wood and to perch a 

 pheasant." 



EooK AND Magpie Hawking. 



Some persons are very partial to rook hawking. It .is 

 passage falcons that it is practised with, and sometimes 

 eyesses, with falcons which have long flown a hack, and 

 have been accustomed to prey for themselves. Sir John 

 Sebright states he has likewise experienced excellent 

 sport The rooks, strong in flight, are equally bold 

 and wary; and his stratagems to elude his pursuers, 

 which are usually a cast, are great, as the resistance he 

 offers is worthy of its size : but notwithstanding this, 

 the swoop being once made, he is usually broiight to the 

 ground. 



Magpie hawking is practised with passage hawks, hack 

 hawks, or well-trained eyesses : on an}^ open ground 

 which presents a scattering of low trees and brushwood, 

 excellent sport is often afforded by them. But as this 

 bird is most dexterous at shifts and turns, two hawks 

 should be taken out, accompanied by several helpers, to 

 succeed in capturing this cunning bird. As soon as a 

 magpie sees a hawk, he instantly makes his retreat to a 

 thick I'.edge or a large bush, from whence it is no easy 

 matter to drive him out ; and he makes a loud chatter, 

 prompted from fear of an attack of this enemy. When at 

 last he is driven out, the hawk makes a stoop on him on 

 his flight to another bush ; if the magpie is fortunate 

 enough to escape the first hawk, the second is cast off, 

 and poor Mag soon becomes their victim. But, how- 

 ever, this does not always happen, for if the country 



