44 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



and whatever small game they can overtake 

 or overpower. 



Such are the manners cf this bird in gene- 

 ral; but there is one of the kind, called the 

 king of the vultures, (See Plate XVI. fig. 1.) 

 which from its extraordinary figure, deserves 

 a separate description. This bird is a native 

 of America, and not of the East Indies, as 

 those who make a trade of showing birds 

 would induce us to believe. This bird is 

 larger than a turkey-cock ; but is chiefly re- 

 markable for the odd formation of the skin of 

 the head and neck, which is bare. This skin 

 arises from the base of the bill, and is of an 

 orange colour ; from whence it stretches on 

 each side to the head ; from thence it proceeds, 

 like an indented comb, and falls on either 

 side, according to the motion of the head. 

 The eyes are surrounded by a red skin, of a 

 scarlet colour ; and the iris has the colour and 

 lustre of pearl. The head and neck are with- 

 out feathers, covered with a flesh-coloured 

 skin on the upper part, a fine scarlet behind 

 the head, and a duskier coloured skin before 

 farther down, behind the head, arises a little 

 tuft of black down, from whence issues and 

 extends beneath the throat, on each side, a 

 wrinkled skin, of a brownish colour, mixed 

 with blue, and reddish behind : below, upon 

 the naked part of the neck, is a collar formed 

 by soft longish feathers, of a deep ash-colour, 

 which surround the neck, and cover the breast 

 before. Into this collar the bird sometimes 

 withdraws its whole neck, and sometimes a 

 part of its head, so that it looks as if it had 

 withdrawn the neck into the body. Those 

 marks are sufficient to distinguish this bird 

 from all others of the vulture kind ; and it 

 cannot be doubted, but that it is the most 

 beautiful of all this deformed family ; how- 

 ever, neither its habits nor instincts vary from 

 the rest of the tribe; being, like them, a slow 

 cowardly bird, living chiefly upon rats, liz- 

 ards, and serpents ; and upon carrion or ex 

 crement, when it happens to be in .the way 

 The flesh is so bad, that even savages them- 

 selves cannot abide it 



CHAP. Y. 



EVBRY creature becomes more important in 

 the history of nature in proportion as it is 

 connected with man. In this view, the 

 smallest vegetable, or the most seemingly 

 contemptible insect, is a subject more deserv- 

 ing attention than the most flourishing tree, 

 or the most beautiful of the feathered creation. 

 In this view, the falcon is a more important 



animal than the eagle or the vulture ; and 

 though so very diminutive in the comparison, 

 is notwithstanding, from its connection with 

 our pleasures, a much more interesting object 

 of curiosity. 



The amusement of hawking, indeed, is now 

 pretty much given over in this kingdom ; for 

 as every country refines, as its enclosures be- 

 come higher and closer, those rural sports must 

 consequently decline, in which the game is to 

 be pursued over a long extent of country ; and 

 where, while every thing retards the pursuer 

 below, nothing can stop the object of his pur- 

 suit above. 1 



Falconry, that is now so much disused 

 among us, was the principal amusement of 

 our ancestors. A person of rank scarcely 

 stirred out without his hawk on his hand ; 

 which, in old paintings, is the criterion of no- 

 bility. Harold, afterwards king of England, 

 when he went on a most important embassy 

 into Normandy, is drawn in an old bas-relief', 

 as embarking with a bird on his fist, and a 

 dog under his arm. a In those days it was 

 thought sufficient for noblemen's sons to wind 

 the horn, and to carry their hawk fair, and 

 leave study and learning to the children of 

 meaner people. Indeed, this diversion was 

 in such high esteem among the great all over 

 Europe, that Frederic, one of the emperors of 

 Germany, thought it not beneath him to write 

 a treatise upon hawking. 



The expense which attended this sport was 

 very great : among the old Welch princes, 

 the king's falconer was the fourth officer in 

 the stale ; but notwithstanding all his honours, 

 he was forbid to take more than three draughts 

 of beer from his horn, lest he should get drunk 

 and neglect his duty. In the reign of James 



1 The introduction of fire-arms was the main cause ol 

 the decline of falconry. We still think, however, that, 

 as a field sport, hawking must have been much more in- 

 teresting than any at present in practice. 



2 The ancient books of h-wking assign to the different 

 ranks of persons the sort of hawk proper to be used by 

 them; and they are placed in the following order: 



The eagle, the vulture, and the merloun, for an em- 

 peror. 



The gyr-falcon, and the tercel of the gyr-falcon for a 

 king. 



The falcon gentle and the tercel gentle, for a prince. 



The falcon of the rock, for a duke. 



The falcon peregrine, for an earl. 



The bastard, for a baron. 



The sacre, and the sacret, for a knight. 



The lanere, and the laneret, for an esquire. 



The marlyon, for a lady. 



The hobby, for a young man. 



The goshawk, for a yeoman. 



The tercel, for a poor man. 



The sparrow-hawk, for a priest. 



The musket for a holy water clerk. 



The kesterel, for a knave or servant. 



And this list includes, I presume, the greater part, 

 if not all, of the names appertaining to the birds used 

 in hawking. -Slrutt's Sports and Pa&timrs. 



