THE HOBBY 161 



other In her turn. When one has succeeded in striking its prey, 

 the other joins in the attack, and all three birds come to the 

 ground together, buoyed in their descent by their expanded wings. 

 The falconer now comes to the rescue, for though the Heron makes 

 no resistance in the air, as soon as it reaches the ground it uses 

 its formidable beak in defence, and unless prevented may work much 

 mischief to its pursuers. 



As when a cast of Faulcons make their flight 



At an Heronshaw that lyes aloft on wing, 



The whyles they strike at him with heedlesse might 



The wary foule his bill doth backward wring. 



On which the first, whose force her first doth bring, 



Herselfe quite through the bodie doth engore, 



And falleth downe to ground like senselesse thing, 



But th' other, not so swift as she before, 



Fayles of her souse, and passing by doth hurt no more. 



Faerie Queene. 



In France the ' cast ' consisted of three Falcons, which were trained 

 to perform particular duties, the first to start the game in the 

 required direction, the second to keep guard over it, and the third 

 to deal the fatal swoop. 

 The ' Lanner ' of Pennant is a young female Peregrine. 



THE HOBBY 



FALCO SUBBUTEO 

 Wings longer than the tail ; upper plumage bluish black ; beneath, reddish 

 yellow, with longitudinal brown streaks ; moustaches broad, black ; 

 lower tail-coverts and feathers on the leg reddish ; beak bluish, darker 

 at the tip ; cere greenish yellow ; iris dark brown ; feet yellow ; claws 

 black. Female — all the colours duller, and the streaks below broader. 

 'Length twelve to fourteen inches ; breadth about two feet. Eggs 

 yellowish white, speckled with reddish brown. 



The Hobby is a less common bird in England than in France, where 

 it is said to be a constant companion of the sportsman, and to be 

 endowed with enough discrimination to keep out of shot. Not 

 satisfied with appropriating to its own use wounded birds, it pur- 

 sues and captures those which have been fired at unsuccessfully, 

 and not unfrequently even those which have been put up but have 

 not come within shot. It is frequently taken, too, in the nets 

 spread for Larks, or inveigled into the snare of the fowler who pur- 

 sues his craft with limed twigs and the imitated cry of the Owl. 

 It is a bird of passage, both on the Continent and in England, arriv- 

 ing and taking its departure at about the same time with the Swallow. 

 In form and colouring it somewhat resembles the Peregrine Falcon, 



B.B. M 



