3 o8 FALCONRY 



good) with a peg at one end. Driving the peg into the ground, 

 at forty yards from the hawk, as she sits plucking the pigeon, 

 he will walk round and round, never approaching her, but thus 

 winding the line round her legs, above the bell. As long as he 

 keeps moving and not coming towards her the hawk will not 

 notice him. So soon as he sees that the string is well lapped 

 round her legs he will make quietly in towards the hawk ; but 

 even now, if he can, let him try to take her up, so that she may 

 not find out she is snared. If once a hawk realises this, she is 

 always difficult to manage, very shy of a string and of all tackle, 

 and half spoilt. But if she attempts to leave the pigeon and 

 fly off, the falconer must needs pull his string tight, march in 

 upon her, and the quicker the hood is on her head the better. 



Possibly, if she is a wild-natured hawk and has been out 

 for a few days, she will not allow any man even within gun- 

 shot. The best plan in such a case is to throw out a live pigeon 

 with a long string attached to it which it can carry away pretty 

 well. If the hawk takes this and kills it, go right in upon her, 

 seizing the string, and frighten her off it. She will not go far. 

 The long line must then be set with an ordinary slip-knot 

 round the pigeon, which must be firmly pegged down just as 

 the hawk left it ; a few wing feathers should be stuck round 

 the noose so as to guide the line upwards and round the hawk's 

 legs. The falconer must retire to the end thereof, conceal 

 himself, and play the game of patience. Sooner or later the 

 hawk is sure to return to her kill, and, if she does so, one pull 

 secures her. 



This snare can be set with a long spring of india-rubber 

 and a trigger, so that the lighting of the hawk on the pigeon 

 will liberate it and tighten the noose. If the falconer finds 

 more kills than one, a snare or two of this kind will aid him 

 much. 



A very good device for catching a half-hungry hawk that 

 will stoop at a pigeon, half in play, half in earnest, is as follows. 

 A short strap of stout leather is cut, about three inches long 

 by three-quarters of an inch broad ; to this there are attached 



