350 FALCONRY 



Bots, when in Lord Berners's employ from 1833 to 1836. In 

 1837 he entered the service of Prince Trautmansdorff, near 

 Vienna, when he trained hawks, principally for game and for 

 the flight at the thick-kneed plover. During his stay he procured 

 from Hungary a nest of young sacres, two tiercels, and a falcon, 

 which he trained for game. Occasionally, but rarely, he saw 

 a wild sacre when flying his hawks. In 1841 he returned to 

 Holland, and became head falconer to the king, flying his 

 hawks at Loo and working with the falconer employed by the 

 Loo Hawking Club. After the abandonment of the annual 

 hawking at Loo, Mollen returned to Valkenswaard, and since 

 then, aided by his two sons, has annually caught, and in many 

 cases trained, what passage hawks are required by English 

 or other sportsmen. Of his skill and ability all falconers are 

 aware. 



Paul Mollen, brother of the last mentioned, was under 

 Adrian Mollen when he was at Loo. After the breaking up of 

 the king's stud of hawks he obtained employment at the 

 Zoological Gardens at Antwerp. About the year i860 he was 

 engaged as falconer and attendant on his aviaries by Lord 

 Lilford. A few years ago he retired*, and lives at Oundle in 

 Northamptonshire. 



This closes the list of a race of falconers which Sir John 

 Sebright well describes as 'sober, industrious men,' as well as 

 clever and patient trainers of hawks. To their skill and care 

 the art of modern falconry owes much, and it is to be regretted 

 that men of this stamp have almost ceased to exist. 



We have treated above of Scotch falconers and of Dutch 

 falconers — both masters of the art — practising in England 

 under English masters ; but as yet we have named no English 

 falconer. Singularly enough, from the days of Colonel Thorn- 

 ton up to the time of the present generation no Englishman 

 professionally has attained eminence in the science of falconry. 

 In Colonel Thornton's 'Northern Tour' (1804), his chief fac- 

 totum seems to have been ' William Lawson, Head falconer and 

 Inspector-general,' and from the Colonel's account he seems 



