HOW I BECAME A FALCONER. 73 
that attempted to injure me. It was done grouse-hawking. I had 
just lifted her on the quarry, and was turning the grouse so that 
the hawk might not eat the breast, but confine herself to the head 
and neck, when unfortunately it slipped out of my hand. Imme- 
diately she flew at my fave, and there clung like a little fiend with 
both feet, giving me both torture and fright. Fright, because I was 
afraid lest she should change her hold, providentially not in either 
of my eyes as yet, and so blind me for life. She drew blood with 
all her claws, and made the places swell. I caught hold of her legs, 
one with each hand, but she would not loose. One of my boys, how- 
ever was near, and he put the grouse close to her, to which she 
moved from my face. I ought to have seized her by the neck at 
once; she would then have changed her hold tu my hand, in order 
to save herself from strangulation. I think it very unlikely that 
she will attempt anything of this kind again, and of course I am 
careful that she has no provocation. The best way with her is not to 
lift the grouse at all, but to take her off it on a pigeon’s wing, or 
something of that kind, secure a jesse, and then you are safe. She 
has also the bad fault of occasionally stepping back off her game as 
you approach her with your hand, though this is only the case when 
she is careless from not being sufficiently sharp-set. As a hawk to 
kill grouse with, however—and I suppose that is the point—I will back 
her against any trained bird in the world. She has alsoa wonderful 
knowledge of localities, and is never lost. 
I have now picked out of hawks, spread over the space of some 
years, two or three which seemed to me specially good and remark- 
able; and, though no doubt I could fill pages with the histories of 
my other peregrines, I forbear—believing that the reader has had 
quite sufficient already. 
In another chapter I hope to give a few anecdotes, and, in a fifth, 
and last, to say something about my doings with the goshawks. I 
will not, however, lay down any particular rule for the order in 
