126 OTTER HUNTING, FALCONRY, SHOOTING 



and the ground very uneven, hilly in fact. The markers 

 were placed on the high ground, the beaters were with 

 me ; the falcon was waiting on. " Now, my lads, off 

 with you ; get them up as fast as you can." They dash 

 off; and in a moment, as it happened, a single grouse 

 got up. The falcon was just above, but very nicely high. 

 A shower of feathers, as if the grouse had been struck by 

 small shot ; she is on it, waiting till I come up. We did 

 not ' feed up ' this time, but killed another before we 

 went home. The markers helped in that case ; the 

 ' kill ' was out of my sight, and they let me know it 

 had happened, and where it was, by throwing caps in the 

 air and pointing, like signposts, to the place. 



But this is hawking on a small scale. On a larger 

 moor, and with the assistance of professionals, six or 

 eight hawks may be taken out on the cadge, and a whole 

 day spent on the sport. 



I have spoken of eyesses and of wild-caught hawks. 

 Falconers agree that for grouse, rooks, and certainly for 

 heron, wild-caught birds are the better. 



A word, and but little more than a word, on partridge- 

 hawking. The tiercel, or male bird, one-third smaller 

 than the female, is certainly to be chosen for this sport. 

 It is grouse-hawking in miniature as regards the size of 

 the hawk used, that of the quarry, and the extent of land 

 ranged over. It is very pretty sport, and is conducted 

 in precisely the same way as that of grouse-hawking. 

 Partridges are often ' put-in ' to ditches, or the bottom 



