376 FALCONRY 



one that has lately moulted or has been idle for a length of 

 time they are almost indispensable. No ancient saw is more 

 true than that which says 



Washed meat and stones makyth an hawk to fly ; 



Long fasting and much casting will cause an hawk to die. 



Some writers advise that rangle should be placed within reach 

 of the hawks on their blocks so that they may voluntarily take 

 it. No doubt they will do so at times, and this is a capital plan 

 to adopt where hawks are standing idle as when moulting for 

 a long time together. But when they are being regularly flown 

 the falconer should, in our opinion, know precisely what his 

 hawks are taking, and should regulate it himself with the greatest 

 exactitude ; nothing should be left to chance, but day by day the 

 food and other means for producing good condition should 

 be carefully administered in accordance with a preconcerted 

 plan for each individual hawk. Rangle should therefore be 

 given by hand. 



Among all these arrangements castings will hold an important 

 place. Castings are the mouthfuls of fur, feathers, bone, &c. 

 which are freely swallowed by a hawk every time she breaks up 

 and devours any quarry she has killed. These indigestible 

 substances are ejected, generally within twelve hours, in the 

 form of a large oval pellet, the condition of which is a sure 

 test of the health of the hawk. In a healthy bird the pellet 

 should be firm, dry, and perfectly sweet ; if it is soft, intermixed 

 with mucus or with bits of undigested meat, the bird is out of 

 health. 



It is not natural for hawks to be kept long without casting. 

 In fact, in their wild state they get it at every meal, and therefore 

 when they are being kept for a long while on butcher's meat 

 some steps must be taken to supply them with it. The natural 

 form, that of a bird's skin and feathers, is the best. The skin 

 of the whole of the head and neck of a pigeon turned inside 

 out and dipped in blood is as good as anything ; rat's skin forms 

 -excellent casting, and the heads of ducks or poultry are good. 



