324 Notice of a Goshawk, 8fc, by Sir W. Elliot. 



is sprung, when it swoops with the velocity of lightning, 

 trusses it in its talons, and rising before it touches the 

 ground, bears it off, till lured back by the falconer. 



Another much esteemed black -eyed bird is the Charagh, or 

 Saker of Europe (F. sacer), which is flown at hares ; and 

 even, in Persia, at the gazelle, lighting on its head and con- 

 fusing it till the greyhounds overtake it. But this I have 

 never seen. Macgillivray refers to instances* of its occurrence 

 in Scotland, and, quoting from an earlier paper written by 

 himself in 1836, states that it may still be seen occasionally 

 among the Grampians and in the wilder parts of Aberdeen- 

 shire, adding that, " its flight was so rapid that he could 

 hardly observe its habits " ; but the accuracy of this indica- 

 tion may be fairly doubted. 



Besides these, several smaller black-eyed (or noble) hawks 

 are flown in India, but they are unknown here. I will only 

 add that, according to Marco Polo, the Tartars and Mongols 

 used to train a very large bird, apparently a species of eagle 

 called Barkiit, to strike deer, antelope, and wolves. Vol. I., 

 353; Yule's edition. 



Of the pale eyed (or short-winged) hawk, the most prized 

 is the Goshawk (or bdz). It is trained to florikin, peafowl, 

 and sometimes to hares ; but its flight is short and it does 

 not persevere like the bhyree, but on missing its quarry, 

 returns to its perch and watches for another opportunity. It 

 is rare in South India ; and I have never seen its flight. 



The Sparrowhawk (Shikra) is generally thrown at par- 

 tridges, quail, doves, and other small birds. The falconer 

 grasps it beneath, and throws it with a particular twist or 

 jerk of the wrist, only to be acquired by practice. Sometimes 

 it has an additional collar, called an hah or hansli-band, to 

 which a cord held between the finger and thumb is attached, 

 and which is thought to assist in keeping its head straight 

 when thrown. But it is seldom used. 



In the East, male and female birds of each species have 

 different names ; thus, the female Goshawk is the bdz, the 

 male the jurra. In like manner, we have the shahin and the 

 kohila, the shikra and chippakh or chipka, &c. ; whereas, 

 in Europe, the male bird, from being so much smaller than 

 the female, goes by the general name of her tiercel or third, 

 whence tassel, tassel-gentle, &c. The tiny male of the 



* " British Birds," p. 340. 



