HAWKING. 621 



Hawking is even nowadays held in high honour in the North 

 of Africa and in Asia, being the favourite diversion of the Arabs. 

 In the Sahara the Falcon is trained to hunt Pigeons, Partridges, 

 Hares, Rabbits, and even the Gazelle. 



In Persia and Turkestan the Falcon is not trained, as it used to 

 be in Europe, for some special game ; they accustom it to stoop on 

 all kinds of prey. Hunting the gazelle with Hawks is a diversion 

 much esteemed among these nations. The plan adopted is as 

 follows : — 



"The Persians," says Thevenot, the traveller, "provide stuffed 

 Gazelles, on the noses of which they always place the food for their 

 Falcons, and never feed them anywhere else. After they have 

 been thus trained they take them out into the open country, and 

 when they see a Gazelle they let fly two of these birds, one of 

 which darts down on the nose of the Gazelle, and fastens on to it 

 with its talons. The Gazelle stops short, and shakes himself to 

 get rid of the bird ; but the latter keeps his place for some time 

 by means of flapping his wings, thus preventing the Gazelle from 

 running fast, and even from seeing where it is going. When at 

 last, with some trouble, the Gazelle disengages itself from its 

 pursuer, the other Falcon, which is flying near, takes the place of 

 the one thrown ofi'; the latter, in its turn, again resumes the 

 assault when its companion has fallen. The birds thus hinder the 

 running of the Gazelle, so that the dogs easily overtake it." 



In Egypt the Falcon is trained for this kind of sport by taking- 

 it young, limiting the quantity of its food, and then frequently 

 bringing it into the presence of sheep : being in a famished state, 

 the bird unhesitatingly darts on them. 



Hawking is also held in high esteem in India, both by the 

 natives and Europeans resident there. It is no rare thing to see 

 yoimg ladies reviving all the customs of the Middle Ages, and 

 penetrating into the jungles mounted on elephants, accompanied 

 by their Falcons, which are flown at the charming blue antelope. 



In China and Japan hawking is also very popular : in the course 

 of a day's journey it is no uncommon thing to meet persons pur- 

 suing this sport. 



The birds which form the next family differ from the Falcon 

 in having no teeth in the upper mandible of the bill ; their tarsi, 



