156 HAWKING. 



by tlie name of the Peregrine Falcon, one of the 

 most esteemed of the British Hawks in the ancient 

 days of falconry. They were carried by a man to 

 the ground, upon an oblong kind of frame, padded 

 with leather, on which the birds perched, and to 

 which they were fastened by a thong of leather. 

 Each bird had a small bell on one leg, and a leather 

 hood, with an oblong piece of scarlet cloth stitched 

 into it over each eye; on the top of this hood was a 

 small plume of various-coloured feathers. The man 

 walked in the centre of the frame, with a strap from 

 each side, over each shoulder ; and when he arrived 

 at the spot fixed upon for the sport, he set down the 

 frame upon its legs, and took off all the Falcons and 

 tethered them to the ground in a convenient shady 

 place. 



There were four foreigners, probably from Fal- 

 con sward, a village in North Brabant, much- famed 

 for its Falcons, under whose particular care the 

 birds were placed, each having a bag, somewhat like 

 a woman's pocket, tied to his waist, containing a live 

 Pigeon, called a lure, to which was fastened a long 

 string. 



After waiting awhile, some Herons passed, but at 

 too great a distance ; at length, one appeared to be 

 coming within reach, and preparations were made to 

 attack him. Each falconer wore a brown leather 

 glove on his right hand, to prevent the Hawks' 

 talons from scratching the wrist ; and there was a 

 small bit of leather attached to the leg of the bird, 

 held by the falconer between the thumb and the 

 finger. Each of the men being now ready, with a 

 Falcon on his fist, and the bag with the lure tied to 



