81 HISTORY OF 



nigl'ts without ceasing. It rarely happens but at the end of this 

 his necessities and the privation of light make him lose all idea 

 of liberty, and bring down his natural wildness. His master 

 judges of his being tamed when he permits his head to be cover- 

 ed without resistance, and when uncovered he seizes the meat 

 before him contentedly. The repetition of these lessons by de- 

 grees ensures success. His wants being the chief principle of 

 his dependence, it is endeavoured to increase his appetite by 

 giving him little balls of flannel, which he greedily swallows. 

 Having thus excited the appetite, care is taken to satisfy it ; and 

 thus gratitude attaches the bird to the man who but just before 

 bad been his tormentor. 



When the first lessons have succeeded, and the bird shows 

 signs of docility, he is carried out upon some green, the head is 

 uncovered, and, by flattering him with food at different times, he 

 is taught to jump on the fist, and to continue there. When con- 

 firmed in this habit, it is then thought time to make him ac- 

 quainted with the lure. This lure is only a thing stuffed like 

 the bird the falcon is designed to pursue, such as a heron, a pid- 

 geon, or a quail, and on this lure they always take care to give 

 him his food. It is quite necessary that the bird should not only 

 be made acquainted with this, but fond of it, and delicate in his 

 food when shown it. When the falcon has flown upon this, 

 and tasted the first morsel, some falconers then take it away ; 

 but by this there is a danger of daunting the bird ; and the 

 surest method is, when he flies to seize it, to let him feed at 

 large, and this serves as a recompense for his docility. The 

 use of this lure is to flatter him back when he has flown in the 

 air, which it sometimes fails to do ; and it is always requisite to 

 assist it by the voice and the signs of the master. When these 

 lessons have been long repeated, it is then necessary to study 

 the character of the bird ; to speak frequently to him, if he be 

 inattentive to the voice ; to stint in his food such as do not come 

 kindly or readily to the lure ; to keep waking him, if he be not suf- 

 ficiently familiar ; and to cover him frequently with the hood, if he 

 fears darkness. When the familiarity and the docility of the bird 

 are suflSciently confirmed on the green, he is then carried into the 

 open fields, but still kept fast by a string, which is about twenty 

 yards long. He is then uncovered as before ; and the falconer, 

 calling him at some paces distance, shows him the lure. When 



