174 A BIRD CALENDAR 



sallies forth to secure the hawks which will be 

 employed in " the sport of kings " during the 

 cold weather. There are several methods of 

 catching birds of prey, as indeed there are of 

 capturing almost every bird and beast. The 

 amount of poaching that goes on in this 

 country is appalling, and, unless determined 

 efforts are made to check it, there is every 

 prospect of the splendid fauna of India being 

 ruined. The sportsman is bound by all man- 

 ner of restrictions, but the poacher is allowed 

 to work his wicked will on the birds and 

 beasts of the country, almost without let or 

 hindrance. 



The apparatus usually employed for the 

 capture of the peregrine, the shahin and other 

 falcons is a well-limed piece of cane, about the 

 length of the expanse of a falcon's wings. To 

 the middle of this a dove, of which the eyelids 

 have been sewn up, is tied. When a wild 

 falcon appears on the scene the bird-catcher 

 throws into the air the cane with the luckless 

 dove attached to it. The dove flies about 

 aimlessly, being unable to see, and is promptly 

 pounced upon by the falcon, whose wings 

 strike the limed cane and become stuck to it ; 

 then falcon and dove fall together to the 



