14 PRACTICAL FALCONRY. 
only a very little way in the ground, let it hold the string well away 
from the pigeon or lure—of course on the side where it is fastened. 
Thus, when a hawk is feeding, even should he drag the whole length 
of the pigeon towards the string, he will not make it impossible for 
you to pull, because he will not be so near the string as to receive 
an injury from it when it is jerked. Take care also to pull a little 
towards the sido on which the string is tied. Itis a good plan to strew 
some pigeons’ feathers over what little is seen of the net, especially 
if you are catching a very wild hawk. Practise a pull or two before 
you finally set and leave the net, for anything like a mistake may 
make the bird very shy the next time he comes. When he is caught 
let some one hold him firmly across the shoulders with both hands 
whilst you turn the net over, and either hook the jesses to a spring 
swivel on your glove, or hastily place a leash through the slits for 
the time being. Of course, hood at once. 
I think that hack is necessary; certainly I should not care to 
train and entera hawk to sucha quarry as grouse which had not 
been so flown. By hack muscles are strengthened, and the birds 
made clever and adroit in their turns and stoops. With regard to 
its length, that must depend upon the age of the birds when you 
received them. AsI have said, hawks which creep out to the roof, 
so to speak, quite young and tame, may be out a long time—say six 
weeks. But those which leave you when they are wild and forward 
cannot be out so long; certainly not as a rule, though it is possible 
that you may find such birds so naturally docile that they may be 
taken up in six weeks or even more. Falcons perhaps require a longer 
hack than tiercels; but keep all of them at liberty as long as you 
can do so with safety. 
The sort of country for hack is that which is wild, and free from 
adverse guns; you must have no human enemies on it. It should, 
therefore, be without game; and, for every reason, I think it 
should be without much game—indeed, with as little quarry of 
