S1IRIKES. 203 



amusement ; in Bengal, they are taught to fight, a 

 cruel diversion one being held up opposite to an- 

 other, in the hand of a man, to whose finger the bird 

 is fastened by a string, sufficiently long to enable it*to 

 fly at and peck its adversaries. By others, it is so 

 well trained, that, at a given signal, it will seize 

 and carry the small golden ornament usually worn on 

 the head of young Indian females, and convey it to 

 its master. It will also, with wonderful celerity, 

 follow the descent of a ring, purposely thrown down 

 a deep well, catching it in its fall, and returning it 

 to its owner. 



In parts of Holland and Germany, it is used 

 for catching Hawks, in rather a curious way; 

 showing some other of its peculiarities. The Fal- 

 con-catchers generally make their preparations in 

 October and November, when the Hawks are 

 on their passage towards the southern parts of 

 Europe. The falconer constructs a low turf hut, 

 in an open part of the country, with a small 

 opening on one side ; at about a hundred yards' 

 distance from the hut, a light-coloured Pigeon is 

 placed in a hole in the ground, covered with turf, 

 with a string attached to it, which reaches to the 

 hut ; another Pigeon is placed in a similar situation 

 on the opposite side, at the same distance. At ten 

 yards' distance from each Pigeon, a small bow-net 

 is fixed in the ground, so arranged, as to be pulled 

 quickly over by means of a small piece of iron, 

 made fast to the net, and reaching to the hut: 

 the string, by which the Pigeon is held, passes 

 through a hole in a piece of wood driven into the 

 ground, in the centre of the bow -net. The falconer 



