80 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



into the hood in search of a scrap of food, it requires no great 

 dexterity to slip it over her head. While doing so the knuckles 

 of the left hand should be turned slightly outwards, so that the 

 hawk's head is naturally projected forwards towards the hood, 

 and cannot easily be drawn back ; whereas as soon as the hood 

 is on the same knuckles should be turned a little inwards so 

 that the head is held up. The braces can then be seized, one 

 in the right finger and thumb, and the other by the teeth, 

 and pulled tight, before the wearer can jerk or shake it off. 

 Merlins are of all hawks the most difficult to hood, owing to 

 their extreme vivacity and the quickness with which they dis- 

 cern and anticipate any movement of the trainer. But then 

 their amenability to kind treatment is also so great that they 

 can be handled, like a horse or dog, without offence, if a little 

 patience is exhibited. And, once well broken to the hood, they 

 will stand to it as well as peregrines or goshawks. Gers have a 

 reputation for often being hood-shy ; but perhaps the proper 

 treatment of them, in this as in other respects, is now imper- 

 fectly understood. 



The early steps in the process of reclaiming passagers were 

 so well described four centuries ago by Turbervile that I cannot 

 do better than quote, on this subject, his exact words. After 

 giving instructions for seeling the captive, and putting on of 

 bells, jesses, and swivel, he continues : " Being thus furnished 

 you shall go about to man her, handling her often gently, and 

 both to avoide the sharpnes of her beake as also the better 

 rebuke her from biting and nipping, you shall have a straight 

 smoothe sticke, as bigge as your finger, and halfe a foot long 

 or more, with the which you shal gently stroke your hawk about 

 the pinions of her wings and downwards athwart all her train. 

 And if she chance to knap or byte at the sticke let her bite 

 hardly, for that will rebuke her thereof, whereas your hand 

 being twitched away fearfully would make her proceed the 

 more eagerly. To man her well you must watch all the night 

 and keepe her on your fist, and you must teach her to feed 

 seeled ; and having a great and easie rufter hood, you must 

 hood and unhood her oftentimes, seeled as she is [here we see 

 the advantage of seeling], handling her gently about the head, 

 and coying her alwayes when you unhood her, to the end she 

 take no disdayne or displeasure against her keeper. And also 

 to make her plume and tyre sometimes upon a wing, and keepe 

 her so on the first day and night without perching of her, untill 

 she be wearie, and suffer you to hoode her gently and stirre not ; 

 and correct her of her ramage toyes, especially of snapping and 



