264 FRANK forester's field sports. 



obstacle, into account, to atlmit of the pursuit of" the Falcon 

 througli the upper air by the mounted Falconer on earth beneath. 



The praiiies of the West are, however, of all regions on the 

 whole face of the globe, that most adapted to the sport; which, 

 had it been hnown in ihe clays of Tristram and Launcclot de 

 Lac, would have been termed "the mystery of prairies," ratlier 

 than " the mystery of rivers." 



IManv of the best varieties of Falcon, and those most suitable 

 for training, are natives of America ; and I doubt not that some 

 of the varieties so peculiar to this country would be found as 

 fleet on the wing, as daring in the grapple, and as obedient to 

 the call, as the best European species — and I say this not with- 

 out some foundation, having observed narrowly their flight and 

 stoop. The three most famous Hawks for the " mews" of old, 

 and to the present day, are the Ger F alcon, Falco IsJandicus ; the 

 Peregrine Falcon, Falco Pcrcgrbms ; and the Gosshawk Hawk, 

 Astur Palmnharius ; all these are found on this continent — 

 the first breeding in Labrador, and the other two generally, 

 though rarely, through the States. 



I have no doubt in my own mind that the powers of the 

 Cooper's Hawk, Astur Cooperii, and the Sharp-shinned Hawk, 

 Astur fuscAis, peculiar and indigenous natives of the LTnited States 

 in general, are equal if not superior to those of any Falcon that 

 ever flew at fur or feather. 



That any of these gallant bii-ds might be trained here is cer- 

 tain ; whether they ever will be, depends, I fancy, on the 

 solution of this question, whether great wealth, accompanied 

 with indolent, or, at least, unoccupied leisure, and highly re- 

 fined civilization, be extended into our remotest Western dis- 

 tricts previous to the extinction of game therein or no. That 

 question as yet is not to be solved. 



At present there is probably less love of sporting, for sport- 

 ing's sake, in tlie West than in any other region of the States, 

 owing to the great abundance of game, and to the habit of 

 regarding what is elsewhere looked on as a rare beast or bird 

 of chase, as an ordinary and every-day animal, and a not dear 



