THE FALCON KIND. 



483 



sparrow-hawks, and buzzards, in whom the 

 tail is longer than the wings, and the first 

 feather of the wing is rounded at the extremity. 

 They differ also in the latter having the fourth 

 feather of the wing the longest; in the gener- 

 ous race it is always the second. 



This generous race, which have been taken 

 into the service of man, are endowed with 

 natural powers that the other kinds are not 

 possessed of. From the length of their wings, 

 they are swifter to pursue their game ; from 

 a confidence in this swiftness, they are bolder 

 to attack it ; and from an innate generosity, 

 they have an attachment to their feeder, and, 

 consequently, a docility which the baser birds 

 are strangers to. 



The gyr-falcon leads in this bold train. 

 He exceeds all other falcons in the largeness 

 of his size, for he approaches nearly to the 

 magnitude of the eagle. The top of the head 

 is flat and of an ash-colour, with a strong, 

 thick, short, and blue beak. The feathers of 

 the back and wings are marked with black 

 spots, in the shape of a heart ; he is a cou- 

 rageous and tierce bird, nor fears even the 

 eagle himself; but he chiefly flies at the stork, 

 the herbn, and the crane. He is mostly 

 found in the colder regions of the north, but 

 loses neither his strength nor his courage 

 when brought into the milder climates. 



The falcon, properly so called, is the second 

 in magnitude and fame. There are some 

 varieties in this bird ; but there seem to be 

 only two that claim distinction ; the falcon- 

 Dentil and the peregrine-falcon ; both are 

 much less than the gyr, and somewhat about 

 the size of a raven. They differ but slightly, 

 and perhaps only from the different states 

 they were in when brought into captivity. 

 Those differences are easier known by 'ex- 

 perience than taught by description. The 

 lalcon-gentil moults in March, and often 

 sooner: the peregrine-falcon does not moult 

 till the middle of August. The peregrine is 

 stronger in the shoulder, has a larger eye, 

 and yet more sunk in the h'-ad ; the beak is 

 stronger, his legs longer, and the toes better 

 divided. 



Next in size to these is the lanner, a bird 

 now very little known in Europe; then follows 

 the sacre, the tegs of which are of a bluish 

 colour, and serve to distinguish that bird ; to 



NO. 41 & 42. 



them succeeds the hobby, used for smaller 

 game, for daring larks, and stooping at quails, 

 The kestril was trained forthe same purposes; 

 and lastly the merlin ; which, though the 

 smallest of all the hawk or falcon kind, and 

 not much larger than a thrush, yet'displays a 

 degree of courage that renders him formidable 

 even to birds ten times his size. He has 

 often been known to kill a partridge or a 

 quail at a single pounce from above. 



Some of the other species of sluggish birds 

 were now and then trained to this sport, but 

 it was when no better could be obtained ; 

 but thesejust described wereonjy considered 

 as birds of the nobler races. Their courage 

 in general was such, that no bird, not very 

 much above their own size, could terrify 

 them ; their swiftness so great, that scarcely 

 any bird could escape them ; and their do- 

 cility so remarkable, that they obeyed not 

 only the commands, but the signs of their 

 master. They remained quietly perched 

 upon his hand till their game was flushed, or 

 else kept hovering round his head, without 

 ever leaving him but when he gave permission. 

 The common falcon is a bird of such spirit, 

 that, like a conqueror in a country, he keeps 

 all birds in awe and in subjection to his 

 prowess. Where he is seen flying wild, as 1 

 often had an opportunity of observing, the 

 birds of every kind, that seemed entirely to 

 disregard the kite or the sparrow-hawk, fly 

 with screams at hie most distant appearance. 

 Long before I could see the falcon, I have 

 seen them with the utmost signs of terror 

 endeavouring to avoid him ; and, like the 

 peasants of a country before avictorious army, 

 every one of them attempting to shift for him- 

 self. Even the young falcons, though their 

 spirit be depressed by captivity, will, when 

 brought out into the field, venture to fly at 

 barnacles and wild geese, till, being soundly 

 brushed and beaten by those strong birds, 

 they learn their error, and desist from 

 meddling with such unwieldy game for the 

 future. 



To train up the hawk to this kind of 

 obedience, so as to hunt for his master, and 

 bring him the game he shall kill, requires no 

 small degree of skill and assiduity. Num- 

 berless treatises have been written upon 

 this subject, which are now, with the sport 



4B 



