360 FALCONRY 



in our opinion have been equal to any performance that a 

 tiercel is capable of. 



In 1 87 2, among others of a remarkably good team of hawks one 

 falcon called ' Empress ' was trained, and for general excellence 

 has hardly been surpassed. Her record of 63 rooks in one season 

 has not yet been beaten. She was flown for three seasons, and 

 died from an accident. In 1876 a remarkably stormy spring 

 a passage hawk called ' Bois-le-duc,' from the name of the place 

 where the hut at which she was taken is located, formed part of 

 the consignment sent to the club. Probably this falcon is the best 

 that has been trained since the days of the famous ' Bull Dog * 

 of the Loo Club. Troublesome at first to enter, when once 

 she took to rooks she killed no less than 60, missing but one 

 flight. It seemed impossible to give her slips that were too 

 long or for a gale to blow strong enough to stop her, and the 

 magnificent style of her flying and stooping left nothing to be 

 desired. She was flown for five seasons, in three of which she 

 made the highest score of rooks killed against any of the other 

 hawks, and eventually was given away as a pet. Another 

 excellent servant was the falcon 'Elsa.' This falcon is 

 especially remarkable for her excellence at all sorts of quarry. 

 A passage falcon trained in 1886, she killed by far the highest 

 score of rooks in her first three seasons, and was not far 

 behind the best in 1889 and 1890. While in her second 

 season she was entered to grouse, and has each year since then 

 proved herself to be one of the most perfect game hawks that 

 it is possible to fly, steady, tractable, and as high a mounter 

 as can be procured. In the spring of 1890 she killed 35 

 rooks, and in the autumn 31 grouse, nor does the flight at 

 the one appear to interfere in the least with her keenness to 

 take to the other quarry when the time comes. In all 186 rooks 

 and 123 grouse have been killed by this falcon, besides many 

 sundries. 'Elsa' was lost at Langwell in the autumn of 1891. 



* Vesta/ an eyess falcon from Culvercliff, Isle of Wight, 

 has been spoken of when describing game hawking. As a 

 grouse hawk she is nearly perfect for killing, but lacks a little 



