THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 41 



being prepared for them, a " flight " ensued, which ended by 

 its killing one. It struck the partridge near the ground. The 

 same swoop with which the victim was felled, carried the hawk 

 boldly and gracefully high into the air. Had the peregrine falcon 

 not this admirable faculty of sweeping upwards, from the stoop 

 made at its victim when near the ground, the extreme velocity of 

 flight would be the means of its destruction, as, missing the quarry, it 

 would be dashed against the earth. A few days afterwards, this hawk 

 bore us company to the field, and there was a short but good flight 

 at an old partridge, which was killed. When struck, it fell in cover, 

 close to a mountain-stream ; the hawk alighted on a stone- dyke at 

 the opposite side, and there awaited for many minutes its master's 

 coming up, when the " quarry " was obtained. The hawk 

 " making to bathe," it was feared that the sport was over, bat she 

 was prevented doing so. The bad effect of bathing is the wetting 

 of the plumage, which greatly impedes the flight. 



Woodcocks have always afforded the best flights with these 

 birds ; and in hawking, I have often witnessed that singular trait 

 in their character, of leaving their quarry the moment it takes to 

 cover.* In this way I recollect what promised to be a good chase, 

 being at once terminated by the woodcock's descent close to a pub- 

 lic road, and as it could not again be sprung, another had to be 

 sought for. When returning home, however, about six hours 

 afterwards, a woodcock was raised from the base of a hedge at 

 the road-side, where the bird had been lost in the morning. It 

 was doubtless the same individual, as, unless pursued, such a 

 place of refuge would certainly not have been chosen. Here, in all 

 probability, this bird, had remained during the day, though many 

 persons must have passed on the footway within a yard of it, but 

 until coming under our notice, it may not have recovered from 

 the fright. On one occasion, a woodcock caught merely (not 

 struck), by a trained falcon of Mr. Sinclaire's, was carried across 

 a ravine, and a few minutes had elapsed before the falconer could 



* Mr. Sinclaire's best falcon pursued woodcocks into dense cover, the first year, so 

 that it was difficult to get her out with safety to her plumage. His falcons, or 

 female birds, which are more savage than the males, geuerally did this the first year, 

 but very rarely afterwards. 



