120 THE IMPORTANCE OF BIRD LIFE 



ing two American species. The latter is exceed- 

 ingly difficult to differentiate from the European 

 form ; both own long tails, long shanks, and quite 

 similar markings. The sharp-shin, however, is 

 slightly smaller than the sparrow-hawk. 



The Training of the Hawks and Their Work 

 in the Field 



In the training of hawks the falconer has to 

 deal with four types of birds, the eyess, brancher, 

 passage, and haggard. The first is a youngster 

 taken from the nest. Branchers are young birds 

 taken in the vicinity of their nest but old enough to 

 fly. Passage hawks are birds of the year trapped 

 during the migration season. Haggards are wild 

 birds more than two years old. These names 

 apply to both long-and short-winged hawks ; thus 

 there may be eyess goshawks and eyess pere- 

 grines. 



Immediately upon being captured, regardless of 

 whether the bird be eyess or passage hawk, the 

 falconer secures a pair of "jesses" to its legs. 

 The jesses are short leather thongs so secured to 

 each shank that, while not interfering with the 

 blood circulation, they cannot be withdrawn over 

 the foot. These are never removed so long as the 

 bird lives, and later in its training will serve to 

 hold the short leash. If the hawk happens to be 



