256 



ACCIPITEES.- 



-BIRDS.- 



-Falconid^. 



wind to gain their place of retreat. When a heron 

 passes, a cast of liawks is let go. The heron disgorges 

 his food when he finds he is pursued, and endeavours 

 to keep above the hawks by rising in the air ; the hawks 

 fly in a spiral direction to get above the heron, and thus 

 the three birds frequently appear to be flying in diflerent 

 directions. The first hawk makes his stoop as soon as 

 he gets above the heron, who evades it by a shift, and 

 tlius gives the second hawk time to get up and to stoop 

 m his turn. In what is deemed a good flight this is 

 frequently repeated, and the three birds often mount to 

 a gi-eat height in the au-. \\nien one of the hawks 

 seizes his prey, the other soon hinds to him, as it is 

 termed, and, buoyant from the motion of their wings, 

 the three descend together to the groimd with but little 

 velocity. The lalconer must lose no time in getting 

 Iiold of the heron's neck when he is on the ground, to 

 prevent him from injuring the hawks. It is then, 

 and not when he is in the air, that he wiU use his beak 

 in his defence." From this animated description of the 

 scene, the sportsman will probably sympathize with the 

 enthusiasm for this diversion exhibited by our fore- 

 fatliers. Indeed one can imagine few scenes of a more 

 exciting nature. 



In a wild state the Peregrine Falcon tyi-annizes 

 unmercifidly over all the weaker part of the feathered 

 creation. In most districts grouse and partridges 

 seem to constitute his favourite food, and it is at 

 such game as this that the male or tiercel is trained to 

 fly ; but when the Peregrine has his dwelling-place in 

 the vicinity of water frequented by aquatic birds, he 

 preys freely upon these, pouncing down upon them 

 whilst swimming peacefully on the surface of the water, 

 and carrying them oft in his talons with the most 

 astonishing address. Rabbits and leverets are also 

 frequently destroyed by these falcons. Their boldness 

 is such that they have even been known to strike 

 grouse sprung by the sportsman's dogs, before the birds 

 had risen high enough to be shot at, and in several 

 cases wounded birds have been carried ofi by them. 



The Peregrine Falcon usually builds its nest amongst 

 the nearly inaccessible rocks and chtTs of the sea-coast, 

 but is also known frequently to select au inland station 

 for this purpose. The nest, which is composed of sticks 

 and dried plants, is a bulky structure, and in it the 

 female lays three or four eggs, of a dull light- red colour 

 with darker spots. 



THE SITLTAlf FALCON, {Falco percjrinalor) called 

 the Shaheen by the natives of Hindostan, is a species 

 nearly allied to the Peregrine, to which it is even pre- 

 ferred for the purposes of falconry in India. It is 

 found in all the Indian peninsula, and also in other 

 regions of Asia, especially to the south-west, breeding 

 amongst high rocky hills, usually in the vicinity of 

 jungle or forest. In the wild state it feeds principally 

 on partridges, quails, and similar game, and is also said 

 to have a strong predilection for tlie paroquets which 

 abound in India. 



This falcon, according to Mr. Jerdon, is always 

 trained for what, in falconer's language, is called a 

 " standing gait;" that is to say, it is not carried on the 

 hand until the quarry is started, and then thrown off; 

 but is instructed to hover and circle at a considerable 



height in the air, above the heads of the hawking party, 

 watching for the starting of the game, upon which it 

 immediately descends with a fatal swoop. " It is a fine 

 sight," says Mr. Jerdon, " to see this fine bird stoop 

 on a partridge or florikin ( Oiis aurita) which has flushed 

 at some considerable distance from it, as it often makes 

 a wide circuit round the party. As soon as the falcon 

 observes the game which has been flushed, it makes 

 two or three onward plunges in its direction, and then 

 darts down obliquelj', with half-closed wings, on the 

 devoted qiiarry with more than thevelocity of an arrow." 

 The birds best adapted for this sport are those bred m 

 the vicinity of open country, as tliese acquire a greater 

 strength of wing; the forest-bred birds adopt a more 

 lazy mode of existence, perchmg quietly on theti'ees, and 

 thus watching for their prey. The mode of capturing 

 these and other falcons in India is peculiar. At the 

 season when the young birds are Imown to be about, 

 the falconers make their appearance in the district with 

 a little apparatus called an Eervian, which consists of 

 a thin strip of cane, about equal in length to the expanse 

 of ^ving of the falcon to be captured, and having its 

 ends smeared with bird-lime for several inches. To 

 the centre of this stick the fiilconers tie a living bird, 

 usually a dove, the eyes of which are previously sewed 

 up; this is let loose in sight of the falcon, which imme- 

 diately pounces down upon it, smears his wings with 

 the bird-lime, and falls to the ground. 



THE JUGGUE (Falco Jugger) is another Indian 

 species; and, indeed, the most abundant of the large 

 falcons on the penmsula of Hindostan. It is, however, 

 a heavier and slower bird than either of the precedmg, 

 and is consequently less valued by the falconers. It 

 is principally flown at crows, and the dodges of the 

 latter, wiien they find themselves the object of pursiut, 

 are described as exceedingly amusing. They use every 

 artifice to make their escape, taking refuge amongst 

 horses, cattle, and vehicles, and even entering houses. 

 Mr. Jerdon mentions a case in which one of these 

 falcons struck a crow so close to a washerman's fire, 

 where it had taken refuge, that the wing feathers of the 

 falcon were burnt. 



The Paddy Bird also affords great sport widi the 

 Juggur; it is always found feeding amongst cattle, and 

 when pursued dodges its enemy with such dexterity 

 that the hawk is not unfrequently foiled, and some- 

 times even trodden under foot. In a state of nature 

 the Juggur differs somewhat from the preceding species ; 

 it is alwaj'S met with m cultivated districts, building its 

 nest ui a tall tree. Its food consists of small birds, and 

 it oecursionally steals a chicken from the cantonments. 



THE LANNER (Falco lanarius) is also allied to the 

 Peregrine falcon. It is a native of Nepal and South- 

 western Asia, from which countries it was formerly 

 imported into Europe for the purposes of falconry. It 

 also occurs in the eastern parts of Europe. This bird 

 was often flown at kites, which its great strength enabled 

 it to cope with; the Peregrine falcon, a smaller bird, 

 being unequal to this contest. In France this chase 

 of the kite was regarded as a royal amusement, and, 

 from this circumstance, the kite is stUl described by 

 some French WTiters under the names of Milan royal 

 and jMilvus regalis. 



