HOW I BECAME A FALCONER. 85 
quarry. She gives two or three rn at your approach ; sets out 
her feathers, making herself look large; has a most peculiar look in 
her yellow eyes—a sort of mixture of earnestness and amiability ; 
and perhaps rouses herself and begins to pick her plumage— 
“prunes” herself as they call it—when on your glove. Beware of 
the opposite symptoms. Itis of no use taking her from her perch if 
she gives a chirping sound, very different from the scream ; if she 
has a wild eye with contracted pupil; if she makes herself look 
small, by closing all her feathers tightly round her. 
To get a goshawk into “ yarak”’ requires very considerable judg- 
ment and experience. She must not be under-fed, or she will not 
have her full power; nor over-fed, or perhaps she won’t look at the 
quarry ; and she wants society as much nearly as the sparrowhawk 
does—that bird so curiously, except in its length of leg, herself in 
miniature. 
I never hooded these birds; but I think it would be found useful 
to make them endure the hood moderately well. However, except 
in travelling, or when very hungry, they are much better without it. 
Indeed, nothing whatever could be done with a goshawk which was 
kept hooded many hours in the day. This bird, I repeat, wants 
society to keep it in anything like order—I mean the presence of 
people, dogs, and so on. The noise of sharpening a scythe, or of 
carriage or cart wheels, too, drives it wild till it learns by habit not 
to dread them. But it should be accustomed to all manner of 
sights; and I really don’t know whether the neighbourhood of a 
croquet-lawn would not be a good place for the bow-perch, thoagh 
certainly not till the hawk had been carried on the fist close to the 
players for some days, else it would bate too violently. 
But once in “yarak,” no devices need be resorted to; simple 
work will do everything. Alternate beef-steak and rabbit with the 
fur on is the best food. One-third or more of a crop of one of these 
daily —more rabbit perhaps than beef—with a gorge every fifth day 
