64 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



and so on till the last is served. Fighting will occur, no doubt, 

 as it is impossible to prevent two hawks from coming down to 

 one lure. But, then, the master of the ceremonies is at hand to 

 separate the combatants, and keep each to her own lure, whereas 

 at the board they have to just fight it out. 



It is much the same thing with the fist-feeding system. But 

 this can hardly be attempted with success when many big hawks 

 are at hack together. As the trainer comes to the hack field, 

 the hack hawks will come up, taking perch on his hand, his 

 head, his shoulder, or wherever they can find a place. Two or 

 three may generally be accommodated on the left forearm and 

 fist. From his meat-box or feeding-pouch the trainer will take 

 out with his right hand the prepared mouthfuls of food, and 

 distribute them impartially among the hungry claimants. But 

 if there is more than one hawk out, it will be found almost 

 necessary, and certainly convenient, to use lures as well. After 

 a few morsels have been distributed, these lures can be thrown 

 down for all the hawks except one, which may finish her meal on 

 the fist. One day one hawk may thus be retained, and another 

 day another may take her turn, so that all keep up their habit 

 of feeding freely there. Sparrow-hawks which are to be hacked 

 on this system may be coped a little before they are turned out, 

 for they have a way of digging in their claws to any soft place. 

 But a goshawk can only be hacked to the fist if she or he is the 

 only one out. The spectacle of a falconer (or ostringer, to use the 

 correct word) with a goshawk's claws' firmly fixed in his head 

 or shoulder would be a rare subject for a serio-comic portrait ! 



Meal-times for the hack hawks should be pretty punctually 

 observed. Otherwise the hawks will become irregular in their 

 habits, and the falconer will be compelled rather to dance 

 attendance on them than they on him. The food may be left 

 out on the board for an hour each time, and then removed, 

 before it has become fly-blown or soaked with rain or frizzled 

 in the sun. 6 to 7 a.m., noon to 1, and 6 to 7 p.m., are very 

 good hours. And each time when the board is garnished and 

 the food in readiness, the trainer may blow a whistle, or ring a 

 bell, or sound a gong, to give notice from afar. At each meal 

 there must be " calling over " ; and if there is any absentee a 

 mark must be recorded against his or her name. 



A bath or two must be set out in the hack field. From about 

 9 to 1 1 a.m. it should be kept pretty full of clean fresh water ; 

 but it should be removed or emptied before noon. Most hawks 

 are very capricious about bathing ; and hobbies, which want it 

 most, will seldom bathe at all. The others should be accus- 



