MAGPIE HAWKING. 159 



strongholds into detached bushes, and in passing 

 hurriedly from one to the other the falcon makes 

 her stoop, while her quarry exhibits great dex- 

 terity in avoiding the fatal blow. Excellent sport 

 of this kind has been afforded by the falcons of 

 Y. O'Keefe, Esq., at the Curragh of Kildare. 

 On one occasion the magpie, after having been 

 successively expelled from various places of re- 

 treat, made for a distant whinbush, and when 

 about half way across the intervening space, 

 seemed to elude the stroke of the falcon by sud- 

 denly dropping to the earth and disappearing 

 from all his foes ; for when the party arrived on 

 the spot the magpie was nowhere to be found. 

 The ground was carefully examined where he had 

 so mysteriously vanished, and whips were loudly 

 cracked by the mounted spectators ; but all in 

 vain. Here was a puzzle ! The falcon still con- 

 tinued to e wait on ' overhead, a sure sign that her 

 quarry was underneath her. At last, after a long 

 search, he was found snugly concealed in the 

 bottom of a cart-rut, where, but for his treacher- 

 ous plumage, he would probably have succeeded 

 in escaping the observation of his enemies. 



On another occasion one of the falcons belong- 

 ing to this gentleman afforded a remarkable ex- 

 ample of the extraordinary height to which it will 

 occasionally compel its quarry to ascend, and of 



