246 



FALCONRY 



or where you will, without the slightest trouble and without 

 feeling any alarm or inconvenience herself. 



Sir John Sebright very aptly remarks : ' It may, perhaps, 

 appear paradoxical to assert that hawks, by being kept hooded, 

 are brought nearer to their natural habits ; but this is un- 

 doubtedly the case, for, by this treatment, they are induced to 

 remain at rest when they are not feeding or in pursuit of game, 

 and such are their habits in a wild state when left undisturbed.' 



JESSES are two short strips of leather (see fig. 4) by 

 which the hawk is held at all times. They are about one 

 quarter of an inch wide for the greater part of their length, 

 and half an inch wide at the part where they encircle the hawk's 

 legs. Two slits are made about one and a half inch apart, 



FIG. c 



FIG. 4 



Jesses 



and the jess being placed round the hawk's leg, the shorter end 

 is passed through the slit nearest the middle of the jess, and 

 the longer end passed through both slits, which makes a neat 

 knot around the leg. (See fig. 5.) 



At the end of the jess furthest from the hawk's leg is a long 

 slit which is passed over a swivel (see fig. 7), through the 

 lower end of which is run the leash. This is a strap or thong 

 of leather about three feet in length, with a button at the end, 

 formed by folding the leather several times, then punching a 

 hole through the folds and drawing the end of the thong through 

 the hole. By this leash the hawk is tied to her block or perch. 

 Dog-skin well tanned is the best leather that can possibly be 

 used for jesses, and out of the centre part of the back, in very 

 large skins, can be cut the best leashes. When skins of suffi- 

 cient size cannot be got, calf leather or 'kip' is very good. 



