CHINESE FIELD SPORTS. 195 



minds in many climes about the same time can never be 

 known. It is certain, however, that all countries of the past 

 have fallen victims to its charms, and that in many it has 

 never died out. It is still a pastime in India and Persia; it 

 is being widely revived in England, and is one of the com- 

 monest of outdoor sports amongst the Chinese, Manchus, 

 and Mongols generally. In the west, ladies took part in it. 

 Scott in "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" tells how— 

 The ladye by the altar stood, 

 Of sable velvet her array. 

 And on her head a crimson hood. 

 With pearls embroidered and entwined, 

 Guarded with gold, with ermine lined. 

 A merlin sat upon her wrist. 

 Held by a leash of silken twist. 



It may be noted that whilst there is no doubt that the 

 'Chinese have used, and do use, eagles in the chase, the same 

 birds have never, so far as I know, been so employed in 

 England. One objection was their weight. A sporting 

 abbess of olden days says they were not to be "enlured nor 

 reclaimed, because they be too ponderous to the perch Port- 

 atif," that is to say they were too heavy to be carried on the 

 wrist. Possibly the Mongols got over the difficulty by 

 carrying them on horseback till wanted, as a hunting leopard 

 is sometimes carried. 



The following list of technical terms used in the nomen- 

 clature of falconry will be interesting: — 

 Of long-winged hawks, etc., there are — 

 The gerfalcon, of which the male is called the jerkin. 



„ falcon, „ „ tierce gentle. 



„ lanner, „ „ lanneret. 



„ bockerel, „ „ bockeret. 



„ saker, „ „ sackerel. 



,, merlin, „ „ jack-merlin. 



„ hobby, „ „ jack or robin. 



Of short-winged hawks, etc., there are — 

 The eagle, of which the male is called the iron. 



„ goshawk „ „ tiercel. 



„ sparrow-hawk „ „ musket. 



„ kestrel „ „ jack-kestrel. 



Over and above these, technical falconry is replete with 

 terms to designate hawks in the various stages of their 

 growth and training. The criterion of stupidity in some of 

 the southern countries to this day is inability to distinguish 

 between "a hawk and a hand-saw," where the latter term is, 

 of course, a modern corruption of " hernshaw", an old sporting 

 name for the heron. 



