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Under these circumstances most falconers prefer bringing them up in a large empty room, until 

 they can fly well. If, however, allowed to fly ' at hack ' they very soon learn to prey for them- 

 selves, and should be taken up directly they begin to absent themselves at the accustomed hour ; 

 for this purpose we have always used the low net. Some years ago one of the authors had nine 

 of these little Hawks flying at hack at once, all of which came at the whistle to feed on his arm, 

 but were at the same time very shy of strangers. They require to be very highly fed while at 

 liberty together, as the first feeling of hunger will cause the most deadly attacks upon each 

 other, which generally end in the weaker ones becoming the food of their brothers and sisters. 

 When taken up, this Hawk should be treated in exactly the same manner as the Goshawk, viz. 

 carried as much as possible, never hooded, except while travelling, and placed upon the bow 

 perch; it will not, however, bear the same amount of fasting, but on the contrary requires to be 

 highly fed. 



" When first placed upon the fist, the Sparrow-Hawk displays an amazing amount of obsti- 

 nacy, and will even appear to have lost all power in its legs, so much so as to induce any one 

 unaccustomed to its habits to imagine that it has received some injury. The only mode of 

 overcoming this disposition is to continue to replace it gently on the fist as often as it falls off, 

 and to outdo it in resolution. The Sparrow-Hawk is mentioned by the poet Chaucer, in his 

 ' Assembly of Birds,' as being a favourite at that period for the purpose of taking Quails. As we 

 mentioned in the ' Introduction,' the Wallachian gipsies about Bucharest, before the war with 

 Russia, paid a tribute to the Porte in Quails, which birds were taken by them in great numbers 

 by means of Sparrow-Hawks ; the Hawks were caught in nets, probably whilst migrating, trained 

 for the purpose, and again turned loose as soon as the requisite number of Quails had been 

 secured. When Landrails were more abundant in this country than they are at the present day, 

 the Sparrow-Hawk was used in capturing them ; and Sir John Sebright says, that is the best of 

 all Hawks for this particular flight : this we can imagine, because, as the Sparrow-Hawk and 

 Goshawk do not strike down their game, but invariably clutch it, the Landrail would have no 

 opportunity of escaping by running, as it might do after having been knocked down by a Merlin 

 or a Peregrine. This Hawk can also take young Partridges, Pigeons, Waterhens, Blackbirds, 

 Thrushes, and many of the smaller birds. It does not mount to any height, like the Falcon, in 

 pursuit of its game, though it will occasionally take Linnets or other birds which do mount, 

 when it meets with them amongst cover. 



" Before proceeding to describe the field-management of this little Hawk, we may mention 

 the performances of some of those we have known, by way of encouraging the young Falconer. 

 About eight or nine years ago two female Sparrow-Hawks were trained by Mr. Newcome, and 

 flown at Blackbirds with great success. Sir John Sebright appears to have employed them for 

 taking Partridges, and mentions having on one occasion taken a wild Partridge with a Sparrow- 

 Hawk of his own training ten days after the bird had been caught in a wood. In 1851 Captain 

 Verner (who had seen this species used by the Sikhs whilst with his regiment in India) caught 

 150 birds in about three months with a Sparrow-Hawk of his own training. During August and 

 September of 1853 Sir Charles Slingsby, Bart., took forty-seven birds with a female Sparrow- 

 Hawk. We have known the chase of a Blackbird with this Hawk in an enclosed country, about 

 Knaresborough, in Yorkshire, to last for twenty minutes ; on one occasion it killed five head, viz. 



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