THE FALCON AT SEA. 177 



in a peculiar key, the hawks would descend from 

 above with closed pinions, and having received the 

 reward of their obedience in the shape of a few 

 tempting morsels of raw meat, quietly suffer 

 themselves to be hooded, and once more placed 

 on their respective blocks. 



It has been frequently asserted that the pere- 

 grine is not susceptible of personal attachment, 

 that hunger is the sole agent by means of which 

 the falconer is enabled to reclaim her, and that it 

 is to the lure, and not to the person who wields 

 or displays it, that she evinces partiality or regard. 

 The following anecdote, however, would appear 

 sufficient to rescue her character from such an 

 imputation. 



A friend of Colonel Bonham the late Colonel 

 Johnson of the Rifle Brigade was ordered to 

 Canada with his battalion, in which he was then 

 a captain, and being very fond of falconry, to 

 which he had devoted much time and expense, he 

 took with him two of his favourite peregrines, as 

 his companions across the Atlantic. 



It was his constant habit during the voyage to 

 allow them to fly every day, after ' feeding them 

 up ' that they might not be induced to rake off 

 after a passing sea gull, or wander out of sight of 

 the vessel. Sometimes their rambles were very 

 wide and protracted. At others they would ascend 



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