EYESSES AND HACK HAWKS 67 



first chance occurs. Here, however, arises a fresh difficulty. If 

 it is a tiercel who so absents himself — especially a small tiercel — 

 the presumption that he has killed for himself is pretty well 

 conclusive. But what if it is a falcon ? Her brother may have 

 chased and killed ; and the sister — a slow hawk who could not 

 catch anything for herself — may have seen the flight, or seen 

 the tiercel pluming his dead quarry, and then come up, and 

 by her superior strength driven him off, and pirated the spoil. 

 You, wrongly inferring that it was she who killed the quarry, 

 will take her up the next day, quite prematurely, and leave the 

 real captor, who is much more worthy of bonds and imprison- 

 ment, to remain in dangerous liberty. The same doubt may 

 arise when the absentee is an extra strong and extra greedy 

 bird of either sex. That she or he has breakfasted or dined out 

 is, of course, equally clear. But was it the captive of her own 

 wings and talons that she devoured, or that of a weaker, but 

 cleverer, hawk? These are questions impossible to answer, 

 unless some person has actually seen what occurred. The 

 safest plan, though not the most magnanimous, when such 

 evidence cannot be got, is, when one hawk has clearly been 

 killing, to take the whole lot up. 



Hack hawks are as various in their habits at hack as they 

 are at all other times. Some are lazy, some active, some both 

 by fits and starts. One will be playful, and find a childish 

 delight in chasing butterflies or falling leaves. Others, surly 

 and ill-tempered, ready on slight provocation to make vicious 

 stoops at their brethren or sisters. Some will sit for hours 

 sullenly on a post ; others will fly long distances for their own 

 amusement, and soar aloft to a good height. These are the 

 most promising. The falconer, if he keeps his eyes open, will 

 have learnt before hack is over pretty well the relative speeds 

 and particular dispositions of his wards. Rarely are these early 

 indications falsified in after-life. But a backward hawk is not 

 necessarily a bad hawk. During quite the last days of hack a 

 hawk which had seemed rather dull and slow will sometimes 

 wake up, and put on pace in an astonishing way, until from 

 being a member of the awkward squad she comes to rival the 

 leaders of the whole school in activity and speed. But a sulky 

 and moping hawk seldom turns out first-rate. 



Speed is the great desideratum in a hawk. It is like the 

 " big battalions " in an army ; like a good eye to a cricketer. 

 When people complain about bad-tempered hawks, it is often 

 the trainer who is to blame. But in the matter of speed, as 

 shown at hack time, the trainer is hardly, if at all, responsible. 



