310 FALCONRY 



CHAPTER IV 



GERFALCONS — KITE HAWKING — HARE HAWKING — MERLINS — • 



HOW MANAGED — LARK HAWKING — THE HOBBY THE SACRE 



THE LANNER — SHAHJNS — SPORT IN INDIA OTHER 



VARIETIES OF HAWKS USED IN FALCONRY. 



The noblest kind of hawk that is, or ever has Been, used in 



falconry is certainly the ger-, or gyrfalcon, as the three varieties 



of the great Northern falcons are each called indiscriminately 



by falconers. These varieties are, first, the Greenland Falcon, 



the ha ndsomest of the three, almost (in its adult plumage) 



snow-white, with handsome, regular markings. This variety is 



, more widely 'di^stributed than the other, two^ -but the only 



. gpepiti^nsi. jjfhiqh have been' trained' have been either ship'- 



caught birds. <)? stray _hawks' that TiayC 136611.." taken 1^, ^oriie 



- chance. Secondly, .the'Tcelahd Falcon. Vfery inajiy hawks (A 



' this variety ■hsii'e.beeti trained, -Sonie being bird^- taken from.the 



"j'nest anJteland-(to which country it is '3.InioSt entirety •confine'd) 



• and'othfers birds Glught'when fully.grown, 'besides' ^Jiaince'specf- ' 



mens. ..Thirdly,' the 'Norwegian variiety, 'Which' has. been takpn 



•both adult and 'ftpm ,the nest by expeditions of falconers- seni:: 



■expressly.tq proeupe.them.. .Thi;ee specimens- also have; diifihg 



tfie tast irftyiyearSj'been f akeri ,on. the pa^'sage-at Vklkenswaard, 



' all of which were,trained-with varying success. ," 



'Just as 'big yachts sail, fastei; tligii litjile dtaes, *0:'the ^er^- 



falcons, being 'hjsarlyt-wijje the, si?e «jf.'peiiegpinps;>can fly far- 



. faster evenihan those '^wift'Wfd^' • MdreOve;f, '-'in 'their.' Style bf ' 



flying^ the)^; excel all other haw'ks.' .' N"? gerfalqo,n ,'th6.t hasvthe ' 



(full, .use of her "wings ever- niakes a bad. stoop, or flies' In' bad, 



