398 The Zoologist — October, 1866. 



Point. The fluttering or hovering over the spot where the "quarry" 

 had been " put in." 



Pitch. The height to which a hawk rises before swooping. 



Tower. To rise spirally — see under head of " Eagle," (S. S. p. 357). 

 The word "tower" occurs again in Macbeth, Act ii. Scene 4, with 

 reference to a fact that we might well be excused for doubting, did we 

 not know that it was related as an unusual circumstance. We are 



told that 



" On Tuesday last 

 A falcon towering in her pride of place 

 Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd." 



" Towering " or " touring " in her pride of place is here understood 

 to mean circling at her highest point of elevation. So in Massinger's 

 play of " The Guardian." 



" Then for an evening flight 



A tiercel gentle which I call, ray masters, 



As he were sent a messenger to the moon 



In such a place, flies, as he seems to say 



See roc or see me not." 



Act i. Scene 2. 



By the falcon is always understood the female, as distinguished from 

 the tercel or male of the peregrine or goshawk. The latter was 

 probably called the tercel or tiercel from being about a third smaller 

 than the falcon. Some authorities, however, state that of the three 

 young birds always found in the nest of a falcon, two of them are 

 females and the third a male ; hence the name of tercel. Sometimes 

 we find the word written tassel, as iu " Romeo and Juliet." 



" ! for a falconer's voice 

 To lure this tassel gentle back again." 



Act ii. Scene 2. 



Professor Schneider, in a Latin volume published at Leipsic, in 

 1788 (which contains the work of the Emperor Frederic II., ' De arte 

 venandi cum avibus;' Albertus Magnus, ' De Falconibus;' as also a 

 digest of Hubner's work, ' Sur le vol des oiseaux de proie,' and of 

 several ancient and rare works on falconry), enumerates the qualities 

 of a good falconer, and tells us : " Sit mediocris staturae ; sit perfecti 

 ingenii; bonae memoriae; levis auditu; acuti visus; homomagncB vocis; 

 sit agilis et promptus ; sciat natare; sit audax — non somnolentus;" 

 &c., &c. 



