2i8 I C ELAND FALCON. 



concealed behind fome ftones, or elfe lies flat on his belly, to elude 

 • the fight of the Falcon *. 



As foon as one is caught, it is taken gently out of the net, for fear 

 of breaking any of the feathers of the wings or tail ; and a cap is 

 placed over its eyes. If any of the tail-feathers are injured, the fal- 

 coners have the art of grafting others f ; which Ibmetimes has oc- 

 cafioned a needlefs multiplication of Ipecies. 



The Iceland Falcons are in the higheft efteem. They will laft tere 

 or twelve years ; whereas thofe of Norway, and other countries, fel- 

 dom are fit for fport after two or three years ufe. Yet the Nor^ 

 wegian Hawks were in old times in great repute in this kiho-dom 

 and even thought bribes worthy of a king. Geoffry Le Pierre, chief 

 judiciary, gave two good Norway Hawks to- King John, that Walter 

 Le Madina might have leave to export a hundred weight of cheefe. 

 John, the fon of Ordgar, gave a Norway Hawk to have the kino-'s- 

 requeft to the king o{ Norway, to let him have his brother's chattels y 

 and Ralf Havoc fined to King Stephen in two Girfals (Gyrfalcons) and 

 two Norway Hawks, that he might have the fame acquittance that 

 his father had J. 

 Antiquity OF I cannot fix the precife time of the origin of falconry; the paf- 

 Falconry. ^jjgg i^ Ariftotle, and the epigram in Martial, do bj no means fix- 

 it to the periods in which they wrote. The philofopher || informs us, 

 that " there was a diftri6t in "Thrace, in which the boys ufed to 

 " alTemble at a certain time of the year, for the fake of bird-catch- 

 " ing. That the fpot was much frequented by Hawks, which 

 *' were wont to appear on hearing themfelves called : and would 

 " drive the little birds into the buflies, v/here they were caught 

 " by the children ; and that the Hawks would even fometimes take 

 *' the birds and fling them to thefe young fportfmen ; who (after 

 " finifliing their diverfion) gratefully bellowed on their affiftants 

 " part of their prey," This tale may have fome truth at the bottom;. 



* Horrelo'w, 59, do. \ Bninnick, p. 3. Horrehaw, 58. % MadoXp. 



Jntiq. Exch. 469. 497; H jiriji, de Mirabil, Jufcult, 



■ it 



