Training, 
“Haggard.” 
Checking, 
Hoods, 
Bate. 
Treatment of 
hawks. 
Other raptores. 
Imp. 
Weather for 
hawking, 
Starving, 
Cadge. 
Knave, 
Making a 
point—pitch, 
Pride of place 
towering. 
162 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII, 
Falcons were trained by two methods, either, that is, by taking a nestling or 
** eyass ” (Fr. niais) or a full grown bird in its first mature plumage. The latter 
makes the keenest hunter, as she has already been taughtin nature’s school in 
which hunger is mistress, while the other, brought up by hand, has no such 
knowledge. Moreover, the eyass, though quite tame, is more difficult to train, 
and is querulous like a small child (Ham: IT-ii-362), and indeed Baert (1619), the 
writer on training hawks, says,‘‘ he that meddleth with an eyass will spend his 
time to no purpose ’’. So you should prefer to train a “‘ haggard ” or wild hawk, 
that is a hawk after its first moult ; but sometimes she remains haggard (Oth: 
TIT-iii-260), she is wayward and is always “‘ checking ” or going after some fresh 
quarry (T. N., I[-v-72 ; Ham. : IV-vii-62); such ‘‘ proud disdainful birds ’’ are 
hard to reclaim (T. S. : IV-ii-39). To tame a haggard it must be starved of food 
and rest, being watched and kept awake (M. W. W.: V-v-109 ; Oth. : ITI-iii-22); 
and also constantly handled (V. & A. : 560). But the haggard, so hard to deal 
with (Much Ado. : IIT-i-35) is when once tamed far more affectionate than the 
eyass and more constant (ibid, 109). 
The falcon must be taken out hooded, as she remembers the past and gets 
excited, while the eyass with no recollections of wild life needs no hood. If not 
hooded, the tamed haggard will “‘ bate’ (Fr. se battre) or flutter and beat its 
wings in eagerness (T. S.: IV-i-99 ; 1 Hen. IV-iiv-99, where read ‘“ bated ”’ 
with folio and not ‘“‘ baited’; R. & J. : III-ii-10 ; Hen. V, ITI-vii-121). 
The kite or ‘‘ puttock ”’ was despised (T. 8. : IV-i-198 ; R. III, 1-i-133 ; Cymb : 
J-i-140). Petruchio (a Gloucestershire gentleman masquerading as an Italian) 
gives us a regular resumé of the proper treatment of hawks (T. 8. : IV-i-191 to 
214). Fletcher who wrote: “‘ The Woman’s Prize’ as a sequel to this play carries 
on the simile in a passage spoken by one of the female characters, Maria, who 
is not unnaturally answered, “‘ You are learned, sister ”’. 
In the same category as kites came kestrils (Cym. : I-i-140) which though long- 
winged are hopeless cowards) buzzards (Rich. III-I-i-132) and hen-harriers : 
for these Shakespeare had the true falconer’s contempt (T. 8.: IV-i-198). The 
kestril is also called the “ staniel ”’, (T. N. I-iii-43 ; [I-v-126) or “* coystril.”’ 
The eyes of newly caught haggard falcons were “‘ seeled”’, that is closed by 
a silken thread drawn through the eyelids (Oth. : 1-iii-271 ; IIT-iii-210). The 
bird so blinded struts about in a comic way (A. & C.: III-xi-112) to the amuse- 
ment of those looking on. Occasionally a hawk loses feathers, these, if wing 
feathers, must be replaced, hence they were replaced by “‘ imping.” The stump 
of the broken feather being rejoined to the old upper part or to a new feather, 
of which a large stock was kept, by inserting a thin flexible iron wire into the 
piths ; this was dipped in brine to make it rust, the rust forming an adhesive 
(T. & Cr. Il, Il-i-292). To restrain a wild hawk, feathers were removed (J. C. 
]-i-77). 
A clear day, not too hot, and above all without a strong wind (2 Hen, VI, 
II-i-3) in which a hawk may be lost, must: be chosen for the sport unless you wish 
to get rid of a useless haggard (Oth. : IIT-iii-262). The hawk must be starved 
on this day or he will not hunt (1 Hen. VI, I-ii-38, V. & A. 55; Luc. 694) 
The hawks were brought out on a frame called a “ cadge”’, carried by the 
“ cadger ’’, whose lowly occupation has led to his being classed with a “‘ knave ”’ 
(a menial servant Ger. knabe). We may suppose a flight made for a partridge. 
This was done with a dog. The spaniel ‘“‘ Troilus ’’, some favourite, may be of 
Shakespeare (T. S.: IV-i-152), is called up and sets at a covey. The hawk is 
then set free and soars up in circles until she has made her point and reached her 
full “pitch ” (1 Hen. VI, II-iv-11 ; 2 Hen. VI, IT-i-6; J. C. 1-i-87 and figuratively 
Rich II, I-i-109 ; T. A. II-i-14; R. & J. I-iv-28 ; J. C. 8-i-78 ;.Son—Ixxxvi ; and 
as to height in general, T. N. I-i-82 ; 1 Hen. VI, L-iii-55 ; Rich. III, II-i-vii-188 ; 
Son: vii). Thus soaring (Mac. Il-iv-12 ; Luc. 506) she reaches ‘“‘ her pride of 
place” and there waits or “‘towers’’. The dog is now set on and off go the birds, 
