The Zoologist — October, 1866. 401 



noble. On this ground then the word nobilis, instead of geniilisy 

 would doubtless and more appropriately have been the term given to 

 it. The term has been by some supposed to have been derived from 

 the French gentil, meaning neat or handsome, because of the beauty 

 of its form." 



Whatever may have been the derivation of the word gentle, it 

 appears to have been most usually applied to the female falcon, which 

 was always considered superior to the male : stronger in flight, — 



" As confident as is the falcon's flight 

 Against a bird." 



Richard II., Act i. Scene 3. 



and possessing more powerful talons, — 



" So doves do peck the /a/con's piercing talons." 



Henry VI., Part 3. Act i. Scene 4. 



besides being more easily trained, and capable of being flown at 

 larger game. Shakespeare appears to have been of this opinion when 

 he says, 



"The falcon as the tercel for all the ducks i' the river." 



Troilus and Cressida, Act iii. Scene 2. 



The game flown at was called in hawking parlance the " quarry," 

 and we find this word occurring several times throughout the Plays. 



" This quarry cries on havoc." 



Hamlet, Act v. Scene 2. 



To "cry on" anything was a familiar expression formerly. In 

 * Othello ' we read. 



" Whose noise is this that 'cries on' murder?" 



Othello, Act V. Scene 1. 



To "cry havoc" appears to have been a signal for indiscriminate 

 slaughter. The expression occurs again in ' King John.' 



" Cry havoc Kings." 



King John, Act ii. Scene 2. 

 And 



" Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war." 



Julius Ccesar, Act iii. Scene 1. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. I. 3 F 



