82 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
preserve the old birds; but the supply is getting less and less every 
year. Jt is a pity, for the Merlin is “the lady’s hawk,” being 
singularly gentle, and perfectly easy to train. In fact, it trains 
itself; the mistake beginners make is in thinking a Merlin requires 
training at all. I rsmember when I was a beginner I was told by 
an experienced falconer (Mr. Charles Holford), “My dear fellow, 
it is yow that want training, not the hawk.” And he was right. 
The great drawback with Merlins is that they are practically useless 
after October, when the Lark-hawking ends, and should then be 
given their liberty. I fear these little hawks too often fall victims 
to misplaced confidence. They often, when in a wild state, play 
round the falconer like Hobbies; and the Merlin seems to have 
such an instinctive love of sport, and such a trusting confidence— 
such a feeling of good-fellowship—towards the sportsman, that it 
will accompany him for hours when beating a Snipe-bog. For 
myself, I should be sorry to make a friend of the person who not 
long since wrote to ‘The Field’ to boast of having wantonly 
slaughtered one of a pair of Merlins that were thus following him 
on Dartmoor. When Merlins follow the gunner in this fashion it 
may often be with an eye to the chance of his putting up a Lark, 
their natural quarry, for them. But this is not always the case, 
J think, since wild Merlins have often followed me, and settled on 
the ground close to me when | have been exercising Goshawks on 
unlikely ground for Larks. 
For Sparrowhawks I dare not say much. No hawk will do so 
much or such good work when properly trained. It is extremely 
plucky—one of mine pulled down a Rook after a long flight; but 
it is, without exception, the hardest hawk to manage that a beginner 
could select, especially if a nestling; and in a game country, as a 
wild bird, it is certainly most mischievous. If a Sparrowhawk once 
discerns a coop with a lot of tame-bred young Pheasants, not one 
of them will escape while the hawk has its life and liberty, though 
I do not think it is nearly so mischievous to young game naturally 
reared, constantly shifting quarters, and clever at concealment. 
Even in my own case, lover of hawks though I am, I must confess 
that a Sparrowhawk passing within range of me when covert- 
shooting on a friend’s property gives rise to a sharp internal 
conflict between my duty to my friend and my duty to Falconry. 
Fortunately for my peace of mind, the hawk usually takes advantage 
of the few seconds’ grace thereby arising, to make himself scarce, 
