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, anda head swoln with rage and venom. 
Sometimes this produced a momentary suspension of hostilities; but the 
hird soon returned to the charge, and, covering her body with one of her 
wings 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 easily 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 ail the rest of the feathered race, these birds always 
strike forward with their legs when they fight. 
3s: TD BOR: oP AcE Cons 
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 tke 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 nobitity. 
The expense which attended this sport was very great; among the old 
Welsh princes, the king’s faleoner 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 
——— eee ne 
1 Falco Islandicus, Gurr. The genus Falco has the head covered with feathers ; bill 
hooked, generaliy bent from its origin; a colored cere, more or less hairy at its base; 
mandibles sometimes notched ; nostrils lateral, rounded or oval, pierced in the 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. 
