DISEASES OF HA WKS 477 



allowed to grow too long, as if so they are very liable 

 to split and break off, and prevent the bird feeding 

 with comfort. 



Diseases of Hawks. 



It would hardly do for me to close this already 

 scanty portion of the present work without making 

 reference to the diseases to which hawks are subject, 

 and, by permission of Mr. Salvin, I feel I cannot do 

 better than quote from his work regarding such ail- 

 ments. 



Moulting. 



Moulting, though not a disease, may be termed an 

 annual ailing, for birds are necessarily weak at that 

 period, which occurs later with passage than with 

 eyas falcons. Suffice it, however, to explain that 

 eyas falcons of the previous year, if kept in good 

 condition, may be said to begin to moult from about 

 the middle of March or early in April. When older, 

 they moult somewhat later. The sooner they begin 

 to moult, the sooner they will get their plumage again. 

 Roughly speaking, the period which intervenes between 

 the moult of the first feather (always the seventh wing- 

 feather) to the time when the plumage is perfected, is 

 about eight months. Thus, quoting from Mr. Salvin's 

 experiences, I get the following statistics : 



First Feather Moulted. Perfect Plumage. 



9th April - - - - - I St October. 



(Eyas Falcon) 8th March - - - S^d October. 



(Passage-hawk) i8th May - - - 4th December. 



As I have said, the seventh wing-feather is the first 

 moulted, then one by one the secondary feathers, then 



