430 AVES— FALCON. 



M. le Vaillant witnessed one of these combats. Finding itself inferior in 

 strength, the serpent endeavored to regain his hole, but the falcon, by a 

 single leap, got before him and cut off his retreat. On whatever side the * 

 reptile strove to escape, the enemy still faced him. The serpent then erect- 

 ed himself to intimidate the bird, and hissing dreadfully, displayed his me- 

 nacing throat, inflamed eyes, and a head swoln with rage and venom. 

 Sometimes this produced a momentary suspension of hostilities ; but the 

 bird soon returned to the charge, "and, covering her body with one of her 

 Avings as a buckler, struck her enemy with the bony protuberance of the 

 other. The serpent at last dropped, and the bird laid open his skull with 

 one stroke of her beak. 



This singular bird may be easilj^ tamed, and it becomes very domestic 

 and familiar. Though, if severely pinched with hunger, it will devour 

 ducklings and chickens ; yet, if well fed, it will live with the poultry on 

 amicable terms, and when it sees any of them quarrelling, will run to part 

 the combatants. Unlike all the rest of the feathered race, these birds always 

 strike forward with their legs when they fight. 



THE JER F ALCONi 



In size exceeds all other falcons, for he approaches nearly to the magnitude 

 of the eagle. The top of the head is flat, and of an ash color, with a strong, 

 thick, short, and blue beak. The feathers of the beak and wings are marked 

 with black spots, in the shape of a heart. He is a courageous and fierce 

 bird, nor fears even the eagle himself; but he chiefly flies at the stork, the 

 heron, and the crane. He is mostly found in the colder regions of the north, 

 in Iceland, Denmark, and the north of Germany, but loses neither his 

 strength nor his courage when brought into the milder climates. 



Falconry, which is now so much disused, was the principal amusement 

 of our European ancestors. A person of rank scarcely stirred out without 

 his hawk on his hand, which in old paintings is the criterion of nobility. 

 The expense which attended this sport was very great ; among the old 

 Welsh princes, the king's falconer was the fourth officer in the state ; but, 

 notwithstanding all his honors, he was forbidden to take more than three 

 draughts of beer from his horn, lest he should get drunk and neglect his 

 duty. In the reign of James the First, Sir Thomas Monson is said to have 

 given a thousand pounds for a cast of hawks ; and such was their value in 



1 Falco Islandicus, Gmel. The s:cnus Falcn has the head covered with feathers ; bill 

 hooked, generally bent from its origin; a colored cere, more or less hairy at its base; 

 mandibles sometimes notched; nostrils lateral, rounded or oval, pierced in tiie cere, open; 

 legs with tarsi covered with feathers or scales; three toes before, one behind, the exterior 

 generally united at its base to the middle toe ; claws sharp, much hooked, retractile. 



