20 Habit and Instinct. 



leash. She is carried about continuously for several days, 

 and late into the night, being constantly stroked with a 

 bird's wing or feather, very lightly at first. Her early 

 training is largely effected in the dark, and she is only 

 unhooded in a dimly lighted room. She is led to associate 

 certain sounds of lips or tongue with feeding ; and at a 

 later stage, certain shouts and tones of voice with the 

 appropriate response. She is trained to the lure — a dead 

 pigeon, or an artificial lure made of leather and feathers 

 or wings of birds and garnished with beefsteak — at first 

 with the leash. Later a light string is attached to the 

 leash, and the falcon is unhooded by an assistant, while 

 " the falconer, standing at a distance of five to ten yards, 

 calls her by shouting and casting out the lure. Gradually 

 day after day the distance is increased, till the hawk will 

 come thirty yards or so without hesitation ; then she may 

 be trusted to fly to the lure at liberty, and by degrees from 

 any distance, say a thousand yards. This accomplished, 

 she should learn to stoop to the lure. Instead of allowing 

 the hawk to seize upon it as she comes up, the falconer 

 should snatch the lure away and let her pass by, and 

 immediately put it out so that she may readily seize it 

 when she turns round to look for it. This should be done 

 at first only once, and then progressively, until she will 

 stoop backwards and forwards at the lure as often as 

 desired. Next she should be entered at her quarry. 

 Should she be intended for rooks or herons, two or more 

 of these birds should be procured. One should be given 

 her from the hand ; then one should be released close to 

 her, and a third at a considerable distance. If she take 

 these keenly, she may be flown at a wild bird. Care must, 

 however, be taken to let her have every possible advantage 

 in her first flights — wind and weather, and the position of 

 the quarry with regard to the surrounding country, must 



