46 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



of wood, is wrapped a padding of baize or other soft stuff, and 

 over it a covering of canvas stretched very tight. The canvas 

 may be nailed to the pole, or stitched together, on the under 

 side. A screen, or curtain, of canvas must be attached to the 

 under side of the perch, and hang down from it for more than 

 two feet, to form a sort of ladder, by which any hawk may 

 climb up again as often as she bates off and hangs by her 

 leash and swivel. The ends of this screen may be kept down 

 with weights attached to it, or stretched by a sort of guy ropes 

 from the lower corners, so as to keep the whole flat and taut. In 

 perches for small hawks, the same canvas which is rolled round 

 the pole is often allowed to hang down and form the screen. 

 In this case slits or holes are made in the canvas just below 

 the pole, through which the leashes may be passed when 

 fastening the hawks to the perch. A space of at least 

 2 ft. should be left between each big hawk and that which 

 stands next her on the perch; and 18 in. between each 

 of the small ones ; and there should be rather more space 

 between the end hawk and the wall or the bracket of the 

 perch, whichever it is. 



Underneath the perch must be spread a good thick layer of 

 sand or sawdust, extending in the case of peregrines and 

 gers for a good yard on each side of the perch, and about 

 1 8 in. in the case of the smaller long- winged hawks, to catch 

 the mutes. As for short-winged hawks, the layer must be very 

 much farther extended, and in the case of goshawks should 

 reach at least three yards from the perch. And if the perch is 

 near a wall, the wall itself must be protected by a shield of 

 paper, or other cheap material which can be changed every 

 other day, for these hawks " slice " to a very great distance 

 almost horizontally. The sand or sawdust must either be re- 

 moved daily, or at least freed from the mutes which have fallen 

 into it. In or near it will also be found the " castings," or pellets 

 of refuse feathers and other indigestible matter thrown up by 

 the hawks. These castings should be looked for every morning 

 by the falconer, and each one should be examined before it is 

 thrown away, as it is by the appearance of them, as will be seen 

 later on, that the state of health of each hawk is to a large 

 extent ascertained. Both castings and mutes, with the sand or 

 sawdust adhering to them, should, when collected, be immedi- 

 ately removed from the hawk-house. A dirty or ill-smelling 

 room is not only a disgrace to the falconer, but injurious to the 

 inmates, which, though possessed of no sense of smell, require 

 the purest possible air to breathe. 



