266 FALCON Rl 



We have not unfrequently, in countries where there were 

 but few spaces open enough for hawking, flown almost daily at 

 the same coveys, both of grouse and partridges, and found 

 them without fail on the same feeding grounds, though in 

 diminished numbers, as they were one by one taken ; nor did 

 flying hawks at theni regularly appear to make them nearly so 

 wild as even a day or two of shooting over the same ground. On 

 moors where, for convenience, a separate beat is devoted to 

 the use of the hawks, it has been found that, towards the end of 

 the season, birds lie better to dogs and are considerably more' 

 numerous than they are upon the beats where they have been 

 shot regularly. This has been proved most conclusively upon 

 the Achinduich moors in Sutherlandshire in 1882 and 1883, and 

 upon the Langwell moors in Caithness in the seasons of 1885, 

 1886, and 1887. 



A good flight at game is one of the prettiest sights hawking 

 can afford, especially when grouse is the quarry. The moor 

 should be rather a flat one, and the less broken the ground is, 

 and the fewer burns intersect it, the better the hawk's chance of 

 success. Grouse will ' put in ' to a burn with steep sides, like 

 a partridge into a fence, and get right underground where 

 the banks are hollow. Good dogs are essential : they must be 

 wide rangers, very steady, and thoroughly understand the sport, 

 into which they will enter most keenly. As soon as the dog 

 stands the falconer should unhood his hawk and throw her off. 

 If she is an old hand at the game she will not be long 

 mounting. Possibly, if a dashing flier, she will do so in very 

 wide circles, ranging, it jiiay be, a mile or more from her , 

 master. Especially 'will she do 'this Vhen flying hard daily, and ' 

 being fully fed upon the game she is killing, she becomes full ' 

 of flesh, muscle, and vitality, and at the same time what is 

 called ' a little above herself.' Should she stray too far away the 

 swinging of the lure, or in extreme cases, one flutter of the wing 

 of a pigeon, will bring her back ; but, as a rule, all exhibition of 

 lures while a hawk is mounting high on the wing should be con- 

 demned. Directly she returns, and has shown by a few short turns 



