PASSAGE HAWKS 281 



tured for hawking purposes. On the edge of the heath lies 

 the little town of Valkenswaard, which takes its very name 

 from the falcons, that in old days were its staple article of 

 trade. Therein reside certain families of men who from gene- 

 ration to generation, as far back as history goes, have been 

 falconers and catchers of falcons. Some hundred years ago, 

 even, there were from twenty to thirty huts put out at Valkens- 

 waard for the capture of hawks during the autumn passage, 

 and the little town could boast of the like number of men 

 skilled in training hawks. In those days a sort of fair was 

 held after the migration was over, which was attended by the 

 chief falconers of various noblemen and princes from every 

 country in Europe. The hawks that had been caught were 

 sold by auction, and rare prices were occasionally paid for 

 very choice specimens, with such a competition as took place 

 under the circumstances described. Ichabod ! The glory has 

 departed. Some three huts now supply all the wants of the 

 hawking world. They are under the management of one family, 

 the Mollens, the head of which, Adrian Mollen, was formerly 

 head falconer to the King of Holland, and his customers 

 average annually some half-a-dozen only, mostly Englishmen, 

 with a Frenchman or two added to them. The actual instru- 

 ment which is used in taking the hawks is the bow-net, which 

 has been fully described in the chapter on hacking and training 

 eyesses at page 259. Two or perhaps three of these nets are 

 set out at about a hundred yards each from the falconer's hut, 

 into which lead the strong lines by which they are worked. 



The hut itself is a very simple affair, partly sunk in the 

 ground and partly built of turfs and sods covered with heather. 

 The roof is very often made of an old cartwheel, which is well 

 covered over with heath and turf, so that the hut itself looks 

 exactly like a small natural mound on the surface of the plain, 

 and perfectly conceals the falconer even from the sharp eyes 

 of a bird of prey. 



The bait for each of the bow-nets is a live pigeon, which 

 is kept in a cleverly constructed little house built of turves, 



