HAWKING. 155 



penccl in the time of Henry Till., when it seems 

 that they were attracted by the offal of butchers' and 

 poulterers' stalls; and as, on account of their use in 

 removing so offensive a nuisance, they were not 

 allowed to be killed, they became so fearless as 

 actually to mingle with the passengers, and take 

 their prey in the very midst of the greatest crowds. 

 Few people are, indeed, aware of the numbers of 

 Hawks existing at this day, in London. On and 

 about the dome of St. Paul's, they may be often 

 seen, and within very few years, a pair, for several 

 seasons, built their nest and reared their brood 

 in perfect safety between the golden dragon's wings 

 which formed the weather-cock of Bow Church, in 

 Cheapside. They might be easily distinguished by 

 the thousands who walked below, flying in and out, 

 or circling round the summit of the spire, notwith- 

 standing the constant motion and creaking noise of 

 the weather-cock, as it turned round at every change 

 of wind. 



In consequence of the disappearance of wastes and 

 commons, by enclosures and hedges, which rendered it 

 no easy matter to follow the amusement without dan- 

 ger and delay, and also, ever since'the introduction of 

 guns, hawking has gradually declined, and may be 

 now said to be nearly at an end; though within late 

 years, some attempts have been made to revive it. 



The following account is from an eye-witness of a 

 day's hawking, which occurred in June, 1825, in 

 Norfolk, in the flat fen- country, near a heronry. 

 The party assembled in the afternoon, the wind 

 blowing towards the heronry. There were four 

 couple of Hawks, all females, of the breed known 



