THE FALCON KIND. 105 



descending, struggling together, and using every 

 effort on both sides, the one of rapacious insult, 

 the other of desperate defence. The unequal 

 combat is soon at an end : the falcon comes off 

 victorious, and the other, killed or disabled; is 

 made a prey either to the bird or the sportsman. 



As for other birds, they are not so much pur- 

 sued, as they generally fly straight forward, by 

 'which the sportsman loses sight of the chase, and 

 what is still worse, runs a chance of losing his 

 falcon also. The pursuit of the lark by a couple 

 of merlins is considered, to him only who regards 

 the sagacity of the chase, as one of the most de- 

 lightful spectacles this exercise can afford. The 

 amusement is, to see one of the merlins climbing 

 to get the ascendant of the lark, while the other, 

 lying low for the best advantage, waits the suc- 

 cess of its companion's efforts ; thus while the 

 one stoops to strike its prey, the other seizes it at 

 its coming down. 



Such are the natural and acquired habits of 

 these birds, which of all others have the greatest 

 strength and courage relative to their size. While 

 the kite or the goss-hawk approach their prey 

 side-ways, these dart perpendicularly, in their 

 wild state, upon their game, and devour it on the 

 spot, or carry it off, if not too large for their 

 power of flying. They are sometimes seen des- 

 cending perpendicularly from the clouds, from 

 an amazing height, and darting down on their 

 prey with inevitable swiftness and destruction. 



The more ignoble race of birds make up by 

 cunning and assiduity what these claim by force 



