THE BIRDS USED IN HAWKING 39 



enough for all practical purposes. A trained specimen was 

 kept and flown by M. Barachin in France at hares and 

 rabbits. It is described by Canon Tristram as a more dainty 

 feeder than most of the eagles ; and Mr. Hume says that in 

 the wild state it kills many water-fowl. The tail is barred. 

 The weight of the male hardly exceeds 4 lbs. 



In concluding the list it must be observed that several birds 

 which might have been comprised in it are omitted. The 

 Chinese and Japanese falconers of bygone times undoubtedly 

 trained hawks which are figured in their books, but cannot now 

 be identified. Falconry is extinct in Japan, and nearly so in 

 China. The hawks themselves, which were once highly honoured 

 in their country, will probably before long be exterminated by 

 the ever-increasing horde of skin-collectors. 



Some readers may be surprised at the exclusion from this 

 list of some such birds as vultures, buzzards, and even some 

 owls. These I have designedly omitted. I find in a work 

 called the Natural History Picture-Book a statement by Mr. 

 Wood, that the kite (Milvus regalis) "has even been trained 

 for purposes of falconry, and found to perform its task to 

 the satisfaction of its owner." Either the owner must have 

 been very easily pleased, or the kite must have changed very 

 greatly in disposition and habits within the last few centuries ! 

 With shrikes the case is different, for it appears that they were 

 actually trained to fly at small birds. D'Arcussia tells us 

 plainly that amongst the numerous hawking establishments 

 kept up by Louis xill. was one of shrikes, and relates a very 

 quaint story of one of these little birds owned by the king, 

 which would fly up to a heron on the wing and whisper in 

 his ear ! 



Several of the falconets might certainly be utilised in the 

 field, and amongst them especially Feilden's falcon, which is 

 very common, very bold, and very tame. Indeed, some of the 

 Malays are said to train these little hawks. Davison says that 

 he has seen the black-legged falconet (Hierax fringillarius) 

 stoop at a rock-thrush, and killed one on a partly-plucked 

 swallow. Other likely varieties are the white-legged and red- 

 legged falconets (H. melanoleucus and H. ccerulescens). 



There can be little doubt that such birds as fly-catchers 

 could be trained and flown at butterflies ; and possibly, when 

 the naturalists and Cockney sportsmen and egg- collectors have 

 succeeded by their united efforts in exterminating all hawks, 

 our descendants may resort to this form of sport as their best 

 substitute for falconry as we now know it. 



