484 



A HISTORY OF 



itself, almost utterly forgotten: indeed, ex- 

 cept to a few, they seem utterly unintelligible; 

 for the falconers had a language peculiar to 

 themselves, in which they conversed and 

 wrote, and took a kind of professional pride 

 in using no other. A modern reader, 1 sup- 

 pose, would be little edified by one of the in- 

 structions, for instance, which we find in Wil- 

 loughby, when he bids us " draw our falcon 

 out of the mew twenty days before we en- 

 seam her. If she truss and carry, the reme- 

 dy is, to cosse her talons, her powse, and 

 petty single." 



But, as it certainly makes a part of natural 

 histon to show how much the nature of birds 

 can be wrought upon by harsh or kind treat- 

 ment, I will just take leave to give a short 

 account of the manner of training a hawk, 

 divested of those cant words with which men 

 of art have thought proper to obscure their 

 profession. 



In order to train up a falcon, the master 

 begins by clapping straps upon his legs, 

 which are called jesses, to which there is fast- 

 ened a ring with the owner's name, by which, 

 in case he should be lost, the finder may 

 know where to bring him back. To these 

 also are added little bells, which serve to 

 mark the place where he is, if lost in the 

 chase. He is always carried on the fist, and 

 is obliged to keep without sleeping. If he be 

 stubborn, and attempts to bite, his head is 

 plunged into water. Thus, by hunger, watch- 

 ing, and fatigue, he is constrained to submit 

 to having his head covered by a hood or 

 cowl, which covers his eyes. This trouble- 

 some employment continues often for three 

 days and nights without ceasing. It rarely 

 happens but at the end of this, his necessities 

 and the privation of light make him lose all 

 idea of liberty, and bring down his natural 

 vvildness. His master judges of his being 

 tamed when he permits his head to be cover- 

 ed without resistance, and when uncovered 

 he seizes the meat before him contentedly. 

 The repetition of these lessons by degrees 

 ensures success. His wants being the chief 

 principle of his dependence, it is endeavour- 

 ed to increase his appetite by giving him lit- 

 tle balls of flannel, which he greedily swal- 

 lows. Having thus excited the appetite, care 

 is taken to satisfy it; arid thus gratitude at- 



taches the bird to the man who but just be- 

 fore had been his tormentor. 



When the first lessons have succeeded, and 

 the bird shows signs of docility, he is carried 

 out upon some given, the head is uncovered, 

 and, by flattering him with food at different 

 times, he is taught to jump on the fist, and to 

 continue there. When confirmed in this ha- 

 bit, it is then thought time to make him ac- 

 quainted with the lure. This lure is only a 

 tiling stuffed like the bird the falcon is de- 

 signed to pursue, such as a heron, a pigeon, 

 or a quail, and on this lure they always take 

 care to give him his food. It is quite neces- 

 sary that the bird should not only be acquaint- 

 ed with this, but fond of it, and delicate in 

 his food when shown it. When the falcon 

 has flown upon this, and tasted the first mor- 

 sel, some falconers then take it away; but 

 by this there is a danger of daunting the bird ; 

 and the surest method is, when he flies to 

 seize it, to let him feed at large, ar:d this 

 serves as a recompense for his docility. The 

 use of this lure is to flatter him back when 

 he has flown in the air, which it sometimes 

 fails to do; and it is always requisite to as- 

 sist it by the voice and the signs of the mas- 

 ter. When these lessons have been long re- 

 peated, it is then necessary to study the cha- 

 racter of the bird ; to speak frequently to 

 him, if he be inattentive to the voice; to 

 stint in his food such as do not come kindly 

 or readily to the lure; to keep waking him, 

 if he be not sufficiently familiar ; and to cover 

 him frequently with the hood, if he fears dark- 

 ness. When the familiarity and the docility 

 of the bird are sufficiently confirmed on the 

 green, he is then carried into the open fields, 

 but still kept fast by a string which is about 

 twenty yards long. He is then uncovered as 

 before ; and the falconer, calling him at some 

 paces distance, shows him the lure. When 

 he flies upon it, he is permitted to take a 

 large morsel of the food which is tied to it. 

 The next day the lure is shown him at a 

 greater distance, till he comes at last to fly 

 to it at the utmost length of his string. He 

 is then to be shown the game itself alive, but 

 disabled or tame, which he is designed to 

 pursue. After having seized tins several 

 times, with his string, he is then left entirely 

 at liberty, and carried into the field for the 



