THE GOSHAWK 471 



master better than any other hawk ; besides which its 

 flights are short, swift, and decisive, as I have proved 

 when using it on the white Alpine hares, a report of 

 the same having appeared in the Field of the T4th of 

 February, 1882, by Mr. Salvin. The bag made by 

 the hawk there referred to for that season was : 

 2 brown hares, 4 mountain hares, 209 rabbits, 5 i rats, 

 2 squirrels, etc. 



The goshawk should be trained to sit quietly on the 

 wrist, in order that it may see the quarry at once, no 

 hood being ever used except when travelling. After 

 being trained to be indifferent to a crowd, horses, cats, 

 dogs, etc., it should be taught to return to the wrist 

 for a piece of meat. This hawk must never be flown 

 except when in ' yarak,' which is manifest by the 

 movement of her head, and keeping her mouth shut. 

 These birds require to be carried for an hour or two 

 daily. The male is of little use except for pheasants 

 near at hand, partridges which are easily approached, 

 moor-hens, landrails, etc. They will hold rabbits if 

 they catch them fairly by the head. 



As soon as the goshawk is trained to kill one or two 

 trapped rabbits, she may be let off the wrist at one 

 found lying out, and after this her education is easily 

 completed. She soon learns to know ferrets, dogs, 

 and her master. If she is expected to kill hares, she 

 must be flown at small leverets, and then at larger ones 

 up to a full-grown hare. 



It is necessary to exercise all hawks in order to 

 keep them in health and training. Goshawks and 

 sparrow-hawks may be placed in a ' creance ' on a gate, 

 at some little distance from the falconer, and made to 

 fly from it to his fist to be fed. As soon as the 



