BRITISH SPORT PAST AND PRESENT 



The esteem in which our ancestors held the heron is proved 

 by the many Acts of ParUament placed on the statute-book to 

 protect the bird, its eggs and nest ; but heron-hawking has 

 long been a thing of the past. It is not that herons are lack- 

 ing ; on the contrary we have them in plenty. Mr. J. E. 

 Harting {Hints on Hawks) says : — 



' Nothing would be easier than to Avalk out into the marshes 

 " with great Goshawk on hand," find a heron in a drain, stalk 

 it, and on its rising fly the hawk and capture it. But this is 

 not heron-hawking in the proper sense of the term. There 

 would be no sport at all in taking the quarry in this way. 

 What is wanted is a heron passing on the wing at a moderate 

 height so that the hawk or hawks (formerly both falcons and 

 ger falcons were used for this sport) on being hooded off would 

 have to " ring up " to get above the heron, an advantage which 

 the latter would always endeavour to prevent by rising also, 

 and a fine ringing flight would be the result. But to effect this 

 it is necessary to have good open country in the neighbour- 

 hood of a heronry where the falconer may wait with his hawks 

 and watch for a heron going out light {i.e. empty) or returning 

 laden, intercepting the heron, as it were, on its passage and 

 thus ensuring a good flight.' 



Norfolk saw the last of EngUsh heron-hawking. This is 

 from the Norfolk Chronicle of 12th June 1823 : — 



' The ancient pastime of heron-hawking is still carried on 

 in this county. The casts of hawks, with four falconers, 

 natives of Holland (to which country they repair annually to 

 catch hawks for the ensuing season) are kept at Didlington 

 Hall, the seat of Major Wilson, near to which place there is an 

 extensive heronry.' 



The season {i.e. May and June) of 1822 was a very good 

 one ; no fewer than 172 herons were taken. A flight which 

 took place in 1823 is thus described : — ^ 



' The heron on its way from the heronry to the fens was seen 



' Quoted in Hints on Hawks, by J. E. Harting. 



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