BIRDS TRAINED TO HUNT 127 



quire sustenance only once daily — in the evening. 

 These birds will consume about half a pound at a 

 meal — ^the merlin considerably less because of her 

 smaller size. Cold meat should never be used, 

 though it must not be heated above blood temper- 

 ature. Finally, when taken out to hunt, the hawk 

 should be hungry in order that she will be keen 

 for the chase. 



When a hawk strikes down her quarry, she is 

 allowed only a mouthful or two — just sufficient 

 to whet her appetite for more. It is seldom that 

 the falconer allows her to make a fuU meal in the 

 field, unless the day's hunting is over; the game 

 generally goes into his bag. 



The quarry of the merlin and sparrow-hawk in 

 the wild state is small birds. They are there- 

 fore employed for taking larks, blackbirds, mag- 

 pies, and sometimes partridges. Peregrines are 

 flown at partridges, grouse, pheasants, rooks, 

 crows, ravens, herons, and other large birds. 

 They will even attack kites, another species of 

 hawk, and the ensuing struggle is a true battle 

 royal. Goshawks excel upon ground-game such 

 as hares and rabbits, and are highly efficient at the 

 capture of grou-se and pheasants. Eagles are 

 flown in parts of the world other than Europe, 

 their specialty being larger game — gazelles, 

 small deer, foxes, boars, and even wolves. The 

 quarry list of falconry is indeed a formidable 

 one. 



