276 FALCONRY 



in the bush or hedge in which he may be. This will give the 

 field time to get well round him and cut him off from any 

 strong covert there may be in sight. The quarry may now be 

 moved, and as soon as the first hawk comes at him, a second 

 may be flown. It will all depend upon the ability of the field to 

 keep the magpie out of covert, and move him often enough for 

 the hawks to stoop at him, whether the issue will be successful 

 or not ; but in favourable ground we have often known a 

 magpie hunt, with an active field, and two good hawks, to last 

 thirty minutes, and not always result in a kill then. 



Good sport may be obtained on open downs where many 

 scattered bushes exist if there are magpies breeding in any 

 plantations bordering such ground. The woods must be 

 beaten systematically, down wind, by a line of beaters, and the 

 hawks concealed to the leeward of the covert. The magpies 

 usually pass out very high, and it requires a good and experienced 

 hawk to go straight and well at them, and fetch them down into 

 the scattered bushes. As soon, however, as they see the 

 tiercel coming hard at them, they will drop, and if he waits 

 on well and steadily, they will remain in their hiding place till 

 the field comes up and the hunt begins. But they are 

 exceedingly clever, artful birds, and on ground of this kind a 

 great deal of manoeuvring is necessary to obtain a flight at all. 



