HAWKING. 101 



tlieir young, and the latter were full grown, two 

 posts were stuck into the ground, at a little distance 

 from each other ; to the one was tied a Partridge or 

 a Pigeon, by a small line, two or three yards long, 

 that they might have room to flutter about, and 

 attract, by their motion, the eye of the Falcon; to 

 the leg of the Partridge or Pigeon, they tied another 

 string, in length about a hundred yards, which ran 

 through a hole in the other post, in order to draw 

 the bait to that post, where a net, like a fishing-net, 

 was fixed,, with a hoop in a semicircle of six feet in 

 diameter. This being pulled down, it went over, and 

 covered the post, for which purpose there was another 

 string fastened to the upper part of the hoop, which 

 went through the first post, to which the bait was 

 tied. These two strings the Falcon-catcher held in 

 his hand, that he might pull the bait when he pleased, 

 and at the proper moment draw the net over his 

 prize. These nets were fixed in the neighbourhood 

 of some nest, or in situations known to be frequented 

 by Falcons. As soon as one of them happened to 

 notice the lure fluttering on the ground, after taking 

 a few sweeps in the air, just over the spot, as if to 

 discover any hidden danger, he pounced down with 

 such violence and certainty, that the bait's head was 

 taken ofi, as clean as if with a knife. The moment he 

 had thus despatched his supposed prey, he generally 

 fleAV up again, unless very hungry, to be reassured 

 that there was no danger near. Availing himself of 

 this pause, the Falcon-catcher pulled the string and 

 dead bait to the other post, close under the net, 

 which the Falcon observing, on again pouncing down 

 the other string was pulled, when the net fell over 

 VOL. i. M 



