ICELAND FALCON. ^17 



This fpecies is an inhabitant o( Iceland, is the moft efteemed of any 

 for the fport of falconry, and is, with the two following, referved fo,r 

 the kings of Denmark j who fends his falconer, with two attendants, 

 annually into the ifland to purchafe them.. They are caught by the 

 natives ; a certain number of whom in every diftri6l are licenfed for 

 that purpofe. They bring all they take, about Midfummer, to Be/-' 

 Jefted, to meet the royal falconer ; and each brings ten or twelve, 

 capped, and perched on a crofs pole, which they carry on horfeback, 

 and reft on the ftirrup. The falconer examines the birds, rejects 

 thofe which are not for his purpofe, and gives the feller a written 

 certificate of the qualities of each, which entitles him to receive from 

 the king's receiver-general feventeen rixdollars for F, or the pureft 

 white Falcon -, ten for E, or thofe which are left white ; and feven 

 for this fpecies *. This brings into the ifland between two and three 

 thoufand rixdollars annually f. 



They are taken in the following manner: — Two pofts are faftened Manner ot 

 in the ground, not remote from their haunts. To one is tied a Ptar- taking. 



migan, a Pigeon, a Cock or Hen, faftened to a cord that it may have 

 means of fluttering, and fo attradt the attention of the Falcon. On 

 the other poft is placed a"^n«t, diftended on a hoop, about fix feet in 

 diameter. Through this poft is introduced a ftring, above a hundred 

 yards long, which is faftened to the net, in order to pull it down j 

 .and another is faftened to the upper part of the hoop, and goes 

 through the poft to which the bait is tied. As foon as the Falcon 

 fees the fowl flutter on the ground, he takes a few circles in the air, 

 to fee if there is any danger, then darts on its prey with fuch vio- 

 lence as to ftrike off the head, as nicely as if it was done with a 

 razor. He then ufually rifes again, and takes another circle, to ex- 

 plore the place a fecond time : after which it makes another ftoop ; 

 when, at the inftant of its defcending, the man pulls the dead bird 

 under the net j and, by means of the other cord^ covers the Falcon 

 with the net, at the moment it has feized the prey ; the perfon lyino- 



*Brunnid, p. 2. f Qlafen, i. 32, 



^ ^ coacealed 



