40p The Zoologist — October, 1866. 



each part, as truly straight and as nearly to the same length in each 

 as may be. When this operation has been skilfully performed, the 

 junction is so neat that an inexperienced eye would hardly discern the 

 point of union ; and as the iron rusts from having been wetted with 

 brine, there is little or no danger of separation." 



After this explanation the meaning of the following passage is 

 clear : — 



" If then we shall shake off our slavish yoke, 

 Imp out our drooping country's broken iving." 



Richard II., Act ii. Scene 1. 



Besides " imping," there was another practice in use, now happily 

 obsolete, termed " seeling," to which we find several allusions in the 

 Plays. It consisted in sewiug a thread through the upper and under 

 eye-lids of a newly caught hawk, to obscure the sight for a lime and 

 to accustom it to the hood. 



In ' Antony and Cleopatra' {Act iii. Scene 13) we read, 



" The wise gods seel our eyes." 

 And in the same play (Act v. Scene 2) Seleucus says, 



* * * ".Madam, 

 I had rather see/ my lips than to my peril 

 Speak that which is not." 



In his beautiful soliloquy on sleep King Henry IV. says, 



" Wilt thou upon ihc high and giddy mast 

 Seel up the ship-boy's eyes ? " 



Henry IV., Part II. Act iii. Scene 1. 



And 



" Come, seeling night. 

 Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day." 



Macbeth, Act iii. Scene 2. 



' She that so young could give out such a seeming. 

 To seel her father's eyes up close as oak." 



Othello, Act iii. Scene 3. 



It is more probable, considering the use of the technical term 

 " seel," above explained, that the poet wrote " close as hawk's." 



The " quarry " usually flown at differed according to the hawk that 

 was used. The gerfalcon and peregrine were flown at herons, ducks, 

 pigeons, rooks and magpies. The goshawk was used for hares and 



