-SPARRO W-HA WKS 339 



Moreover, they can be well entered at birds while yet in the 

 loft, and before they are taken in hand to train. The males 

 and females must be kept in different lofts, or the former will 

 probably be killed, and in any case they must all be highly fed. 

 It will be found that one, or at most two, of these hawks will 

 take up the whole of a man's time, and it is better for the 

 falconer to restrict himself to one good bird than to attempt 

 too much by trying to train several. 



The female sparrow^-hawk will take partridges — even full- 

 grown ones — fairly well. In early September she will kill 

 many. Formerly they were of no little account for killing 

 landrails, which were far better for the table when thus killed 

 than if they had been mangled with shot. The best sport to 

 be had with them is at blackbirds and at thrushes in large old 

 hedgerows, and this is really an excellent flight, requiring much 

 skill and management. Two assistants are advisable, and, the 

 hedge being beaten and a blackbird marked down into it, the 

 falconer, hawk on hand, should make a detour, and having got 

 well round the bird, should advance close to the bush where 

 it is concealed, while the beaters, one on each side of the hedge, 

 advance towards him. The blackbird is thus well between the 

 two fires, and if the beater on the opposite side to the falconer 

 is a little in advance of his fellow, and uses his stick w^ell, the 

 blackbird is certain to be forced away between the falconer 

 and the advancing beater, and so affords a fair good chance 

 in the open. Thrushes are more active and not so easy to 

 take. 



Sparrows and simOar small birds may be taken by the 

 male or ' musket,' but upon the whole he is not worth training. 

 If the female be used for small birds, almost any number may 

 be killed by her, but the sport is not very good — and if she 

 is to fly blackbirds, she must be kept to them and not allowed 

 to fly at easier quarry, or she will become slack-mettled. The 

 late Sir Charles Slingsby — whose melancholy death by drowning 

 (caused by the overturning of the Newby ferry-boat when he 

 was crossing the river Ure during a run with his hounds) is 



