THE FALCONER 243 



Whilst the falcons are fine-tempered, generous birds, whose 

 home is in the open country, and whose dashing style of flight 

 is only adapted to wide plains or hills, the hawks are shifting, 

 lurching fliers, deadly enough in their own country, which is 

 the close woodland through which they can thread their way 

 like a woodcock or an owl, and that with extreme rapidity, for 

 a short distance. 



Of the first named variety the species which are commonly 

 used in modern falconry are, first and foremost, the peregrine, 

 which is to be found in every quarter of the globe, and wher- 

 ever it has been trained, east or west, has always proved itself 

 to be the hawk which is by far the best suited to the service of 

 man ; next the gyr-falcons and the merlin. These have been 

 regularly made use of from time immemorial. Besides these 

 we sometimes find the Barbary falcon, the sacre, the lanner, 

 and the hobby ; but though, no doubt, these birds are very 

 capable of showing sport, they have been treated more as 

 pets in this country, and trained as an experiment rather than 

 with any serious intention to kill game with them. In the 

 East both sacre and lanner are trained with success, as well as 

 various other species of falcon. 



Of the short-winged hawks the goshawk and the sparrow- 

 hawk are the only varieties in use. 



Of the implements which are in use for the confining and 

 training of hawks, the first and the most important is the HOOD. 

 This is a cap of stiff leather, so contrived as to blindfold the 

 hawk, while at the same time it fits easily to her head and 

 does not press upon her eyes, and yet is so well fitted that she 

 cannot get it off. Two patterns are in ordinary use, Dutch 

 and Indian. The Dutch hood is the old European form, and 

 is made of three pieces, one body-piece and two eyepieces. 

 These latter are usually covered with cloth or velvet, not 

 only for appearance' sake, but also because the cloth being 

 drawn into the seams of the leather makes a close joint and 

 does not allow a glimmer of light to come through the hood just 

 above the hawk's eye, and just where it should not. 



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