IMPING AND COPING 475 



padded on the top with leather. It takes up but Httle 

 room, and is suitable for all kinds of hawks ; but they 

 must, of course, be made according to the sizes of the 

 hawks. If by chance there is no block available, a 

 garden Hower-pot inverted will answer the purpose, 

 the hawk being fastened to an eyed-pin driven into the 

 ground near to it. 



Imping and Coping. 



An injury to the feathers of a hawk is remedied by 

 what is termed ' imping.' When a feather is broken 

 and not lost, the same feather is used again, or, if lost, 

 is supplied by the falconer, who should always keep a 

 collection of spare feathers from hawks which have 

 moulted or which may have died. When the feather 

 is broken sufficiently high up, an imping-needle can be 

 inserted into it, the feather being cut so as to exactly 

 fit the shaft of the one containing the imping-needle, 

 and which is to go on to it. When this latter is pushed 

 home it is as tight as a natural feather. Imping- 

 needles,'" which are triangular and pointed at both 

 ends, can be bought of different sizes, and kept ready 

 for use for the different hawks which may be kept by 

 the falconer. 



The corresponding feathers of another bird must be 

 used, for the hawk cannot fly nor steer straight if the 

 feathers are not exactly matched. 



Any falconer can make his own imping-needles, by 



sharpening both ends of a piece of iron wire with a 



file in a triangular shape. The best can be made from 



glovers' needles, which are triangular in shape at the 



* They are made by Mr. Aston, Feltwell, Brandon, Suffolk. 



