292 THE ZOOLOGIST. : 
(about a third of a pound), and about every third day a pigeon or 
other bird for the sake of the feathers, which are essential from 
time to time to keep a hawk in health. All birds of prey, and 
some others, as Shrikes, Flycatchers, and Rooks, are in the habit 
of rejecting the indigestible portions of their food in the shape of 
pellets, called “castings.” From the appearance of these the 
bird’s condition may be judged. Hobbies, Merlins, and Sparrow- 
hawks should, if possible, be fed on small birds and mice, or 
sheep’s heart. Beef is too stimulating, and not easily digested 
by them. 
It is of course impossible, within the narrow limits of a 
lecture like the present, to give expression to half the thoughts 
which crowd upon the mind in connection with the subject. I 
should like to have supplied some additional historical notices of 
Falconry in England, and to have described some of the “ flights” 
I have witnessed with the Peregrine, Jerfalcon, Merlin, and 
Sparrowhawk ; but time will not permit. I can only add that 
I trust my remarks concerning hawks may be regarded as a plea 
in their favour. ‘hey are useful to us in many ways. They are 
‘** Nature’s police”; they keep down many birds, which, if allowed 
to become too numerous, might endanger our crops (for example, 
the natural prey of the Peregrine is the wild Pigeon); and they 
prevent a district from becoming overstocked with game, which 
is almost as prejudicial, in the eyes of a sportsman, as holding 
too little. They are capable of providing us with much amuse- 
ment in the way of taming, training, and flying them; they 
are highly intelligent, and, if properly managed, become most 
gentle and docile. If gentlemen would only request their keepers 
to catch instead of shoot hawks (that is, assuming the liberty of 
these birds must be restrained), and try their hands at training 
them, I feel satisfied that they would derive a pleasure from the 
experiment far beyond their expectations. 
a a 
