THE SPARROW HAWK 143 



time after time, " bateing," as it is called, at every 

 one who comes near. But in time she gets tired 

 of bateing and learns that no harm is intended 

 her. Meanwhile she is offered nice bits of meat, 

 the falconer striving to make her understand that 

 he is a friend, and that it is he who provides her 

 with food. Soon she begins to eat on the hand, 

 gradually her confidence is won, and she views 

 mankind with less and less distrust The next 

 step in her education is to encourage her to jump 

 on to the fist for rewards of meat. At first she 

 will only step up, but she soon learns to jump a 

 foot or two, then to fly several yards, and at last 

 there comes a day when she can be trusted free, 

 flying back to her trainer's fist from a considerable 

 distance, when of course she is well rewarded 



By the way, the sparrow hawk is what was called 

 in the old times a hawk of the fist, being taught 

 to come back to the hand, and being flown straight 

 from it at the quarry ; unlike the long-winged 

 hawks which are " made to the lure/' i.e. taught 

 to come to a lure dragged on the ground. Another 

 difference in the training is that the latter are 

 kept hooded a considerable part of their time, so 

 that they may not be frightened and upset by 

 passing things, but this is not customary with the 

 short-winged hawks, which are generally carried 

 bare-headed. But even with the sparrow hawk 

 both hood and lure have their uses, especially 

 the latter. 



Of course the whole of a hawk's training turns 

 on the matter of food. With a full crop she 



