340 FALCONRY 



fresh in the memory of all hunting-men— was an excellent 

 falconer, and especially clever in the use of this little hawk. 

 We have witnessed his skill on various occasions, but the only 

 record we can find of his performances was a score of forty- 

 seven blackbirds with one hawk in 1853. His friend, Mr, 

 Bower, was also exceedingly successful with these hawks, and 

 (we quote from ' Falconry in the British Isles') in 1857 he 

 killed 327 head between August 23 and October 20 — mostly, 

 however, sparrows. In 1858, with another hawk, he killed, 

 in nineteen hawking days, 46 blackbirds, 36 thrushes, 17 

 partridges, 1 1 sparrows, and i starling - total, in; the best 

 day being 6 blackbirds, 3 thrushes, 2 partridges, and i sparrow. 

 And in 1861 Mr. Bower killed 126 birds in twenty-seven days, 

 with a young sparrow-hawk which was in flying order by July 27, 

 the score being — 68 blackbirds, 42 thrushes, 5 sparrows, 3 

 greenfinches, 7 partridges, i wood-pigeon, i sundry. He had 

 an excellent hawk in 1865 ; but, though we witnessed some of 

 its performances, we have no record of the result. But Mr. 

 Bower was, no doubt, the best and cleverest hand with these 

 delicate little hawks that has attempted to use them during the 

 present century. 



For a good many years after 1866 nothing much has been 

 done with the sparrow-hawk, until about the year 1883, when 

 Mr. Riley — whom we have mentioned above as having done 

 very good work with goshawks — commenced also to fly sparrow- 

 hawks in Herefordshire with great success. Commencing with 

 a hawk which took 34 head in the first season in which he 

 attempted the sport, he in the year 1887 killed with one 

 hawk 51 blackbirds, 4 thrushes, 3 partridges, i pheasant, and 

 2 small birds— total, 61. Mr. Riley informs us that he only 

 uses one beater, and that he frequently lets the hawk take her 

 own stand in trees, and beats the hedge up to her. Mr. Bower's 

 practice was always to have two assistants, and to so place 

 himself that he could ensure the hawk a fair chance at the 

 blackbird as it crossed the open ; he never allowed the hawk 

 to fly except from his hand, and he never let her go except 



