96 ACCIPITRES. 



serves a double purpose, preserving the head and neck from 

 the stroke of the falcon, and also presenting a point upon 

 which, if the falcon should come, she would be transfixed, 

 and the heron escape in safety. In these cases, the falcon 

 strikes at the wing ; and if the stroke takes effect, and the 

 bird descends, the falcon follows, and strikes again at the 

 head or neck, and soon brings the heron lifeless to the ground. 

 The rush of the peregrine is perhaps not so tempestuous as 

 that of the jer-falcon, which has altogether more of the habits 

 of the eagle ; but its style of flight, especially when on the 

 chase, is much finer. There are many instances recorded of 

 the amazing power of flight in falcons ; one of the most 

 remarkable is that of one belonging to Henry IY. of France, 

 which was found in Malta, 1350 miles from Fontainbleau, 

 within twenty-four hours after quitting the latter place. 



The peregrine, as possessing the greatest courage, power, 

 and tractability jointly, is the falcon par excellence of the fal- 

 coners. The falcon always means the female, and the male is 

 called the tercel. When one year old, and before the plumage 

 acquires the grey that characterises the mature bird, the 

 female is called a red falcon, and the male a red tercel. 

 When fully plumed and trained (and she has not her full 

 superiority over the male till in her mature plumage), the 

 female is the gentil, or gentil falcon, so called, partly from 

 her docility, and partly because she never turns " down the 

 wind," or stoops to ignoble game, as some of the other hawks, 

 and even the tercel peregrine, are apt to do. The name 

 yentil, which is the opposite of "low" or "vulgar," was, how- 

 ever, applied to all good hawks, even to some of the short- 

 winged ones, such as the gos-hawk. 



Most of the hawks, especially those in which there is much 

 difference between the colours of the young and the full- 

 grown bird, are liable to considerable variations in the general 

 tint and marking of the mature plumage. 



