FAL 



structure of the wings in the rowing- birds ; and we 

 shall shortly mention this in the sailing ones, before 

 we come to speak of the peculiar mode of action in 

 each, and their different adaptations in the art of 

 falconry. 



In mailing birds generally, and in the ignoble birds 

 of prey, tin; whole structure and texture of the wings 

 are different. The bones are shorter, less firm in the 

 joints, and less completely stretched in the act of 

 flying. The quills of the extreme part of the wing 

 are gradually shortened for about four from the 

 longest feather, which is never the first or second, 

 and is the fourth in the gos-ha\vk, which may be 

 considered as the typical hawk, and was the one of 

 the sailers that was the most esteemed in falconry. 

 A wing of this structure acts much less powerfully 

 upon the wind than one of the former. The tense 

 bones of the former wing enable it to strike the air 

 with its whole force ; but this one, in consequence of its 

 being looser in the joints, and less extended, "gives" 

 to the stroke, so that the one strikes like a firm, 

 though somewhat elastic rod the other like an appa- 

 ratus to a certain extent jointed. The surfaces and ter- 

 minations of the webs of the feathers also give them- 

 selves more up to the air than in the rowing birds. 

 They are more loose and flocctilent, not only in their 

 clothing feathers and coverts, but in the quills beyond 

 the coverts. This is apparent in their very appearance. 

 The quills of the noble hawks are smooth and glossy 

 to their very extremities, while those of the others 

 have a dead colour, as if they were covered with 

 some sort of fine powder, or very short nap, and the 

 latter is the case. The covered part of the wing is 

 also broader in proportion, and more loosely feathered ; 

 and it is hollow not oidy in the direction of its length, 

 in consequence of the imperfect stretch, but it is 

 hollow also in the cross section. In short, it is a 

 wing of which the wind can take hold, just as it does 

 of the belly of a sail. Such a wing is of course ill 

 adapted either for rising or for progressive motion 

 against the wind, but it is equally well adapted for 

 g with the wind, and also for all sorts of short 

 action in the air, in places where the wing of a falcon 

 Avould not have scope for its more powerful action. 

 Such a wing, and the general plumage of the bird 

 answers to it, upon the principle of harmony which 

 runs through all nature's productions, is calculated 

 for leaning on the air, or hovering, as it is usually 

 called, for a far greater length of time, and in finer 

 style, than could be done by the rowing bird, no part 

 of which is adapted for taking a hold on the air. 

 Wings of this description are also, generally speaking, 

 shorter than those of the other, and this adds further 

 to the accommodation of the sailing bird in those 

 situations for which it is best fitted. Such are the 

 general characters and distinctions of the wings in 

 the two sorts of birds used in falconry. 



There is also a very considerable difference in the 

 structure of the feet. In the rowers, or noble hawks, 

 the tarsi are always short, and, generally speaking, 

 they are short in" proportion to the power of the 

 bird. The- toes, also, have great power of motion, 

 and the claws are very sharp. In the short-winged 

 birds the tarsi are always longer, often pretty long in 

 proportion to the size of the bird ; and though the 

 toes are perhaps not, upon the whole, less powerful, 

 they are not fitted for such rapid and immediate action 

 as those of the other division. There are some other 

 peculiarities, such as more looseness in the general 



NAT. HIST. VOL. II. 



CON. 4 65 



form of the body in the short-winged bird, but those 

 of the wings and feet, as above mentioned, are the 

 most important ; and as the whole structure of the 

 bird is in accordance, those minor particulars may 

 easily be inferred from what has been said. 



Now, if we consider either the localities of (he 

 two divisions, or the manner in which they obtain 

 their prey, we shall perceive how beautifully each is 

 adapted to its purpose, and how much both would be 

 at a loss if they were made to change places. The 

 falcons are birds of the open grounds, of the rocky 

 mountain, and the wide moor, and their prey, in so 

 far as it consists of birds, is killed by the stroke 

 delivered in the open air, and not clutched with the 

 talons ; for, when a falcon hunts in good style, she 

 strikes her prey to the ground, and descends after it. 

 The hawks, on the other hand, are more birds of 

 wooded places, where they have many turnings to 

 make, and do not require the straight-lined rush of 

 the falcons. In catching their prey, they clutch it with 

 the talons rather than strike at it, and the length of 

 the tarsus seems to assist them in this process. The 

 eagle, which is a broad-winged bird, and the kite, 

 which is a bird with wings of rather a mixed character, 

 form exceptions to this, as the eagle is invariablv, and 

 the kite generally, found in open places, though the 

 latter frequents the neighbourhood of woods. Both 

 of these, however, prey upon the ground, and are 

 clutching birds rather than striking ones ; but as 

 neither of them was trained for falconry, they do not 

 require a further description in the present place. 



There is something worthy of remark in the 

 different manner in which the falcons and the hawks 

 attack their prey. The falcon, of whatever species it 

 may be, always aims its blow at the most vulnerable 

 part of its prey, or that which shall most instantly 

 occasion death ; and in birds this vulnerable spot is 

 the nape, immediately at the articulation of the skull 

 with the vertebral column, so that a stroke given 

 here, of the force with which even the lightest of the 

 falcons rushes upon its prey, is sufficient to fracture 

 the skull, or dislocate the neck. So accurately is 

 this done, that the merlin, light as it is, will strike 

 dead to the earth a bird heavier than itself, with so 

 much rapidity as that it can hardly be perceived ; for 

 it is no sooner in contact with the living bird than the 

 dead one separates from it. Hawks, and sailing birds 

 of prey generally, are not so particular as to the 

 place at which they aim their stroke ; their object is 

 rather to clutch their prey, and hold it by main 

 strength, until they have strangled, or otherwise 

 pressed and torn it to death. We cannot help 

 noticing here a remarkable coincidence between dif- 

 ferent divisions of predatory birds and predatory 

 mammalia. All the clutching and crushing mammalia, 

 which catch their prey by lying in wait, or by othet 

 stratagems, seize it indiscriminately by any part, and 

 either run it down, under the double effect of their 

 weight and the torture which they give by their teeth 

 and claws, or they crush and rend it. But the coursing 

 mammalia, which run down their prey in open chase, 

 invariably seize upon some vital part, as is observed 

 in those dogs which are in the wild state, and in ill- 

 bred domestic dogs, which so far return to their wild 

 habits and savage propensities, as to prowl about at 

 night and bite sheep. A practised canine thief of 

 this description will sometimes, in the course of a 

 single night, kill and bleed more than a dozen sheep 

 w ithout in the least tearing or breaking the carcases ; 

 GG 



