CHAPTER VI 

 Training and Entering 



WE have traced the history of the wild-caught hawk from 

 the moment of her misadventure in the bow-net to that 

 in which having been introduced under good auspices to the 

 society of her new friends she has learnt at least to tolerate 

 their presence, if not to rejoice in it. She can be taken amongst 

 men, women, and children, dogs, horses, and carriages, without 

 feeling uneasy. She has, in fact, now been manned. When we 

 took leave of our eyesses they had not yet arrived at this stage. 

 They were only just taken up from hack. But the manning of 

 the eyess is accomplished in no different way from that of the 

 passager, except that the more vigorous parts of the discipline 

 may be omitted or modified. Waking is not necessary for 

 eyess merlins, hobbies, or kestrels. It may often be dispensed 

 with altogether with eyess peregrines, even after a prolonged 

 hack. Carrying and handling are with them, as with their wilder 

 brethren, the simple but laborious methods whereby they are 

 tamed. But manning is only the first step in the reclamation 

 of a hawk. She must be made also to come to the fist, at least 

 to a certain extent. If, indeed, she is a short-winged hawk, 

 this lesson of coming to the fist may be considered the prin- 

 cipal part of her training. But all hawks should be taught and 

 accustomed to jump a short distance on to the fist, whenever it 

 is held out invitingly towards them. Nor is there any great 

 difficulty about this, if a right beginning is made. As the 

 falconer stands with his hawk bareheaded on the glove, he 

 should get her first to reach forward with her head when he 

 offers a morsel of food on the end of his short stick. Then by 

 degrees he may induce her to step an inch or two sideways 

 towards his wrist for the same purpose. Next, to walk a little 

 way along the screen-perch. And, when she will do this, he 

 may set her down on the perch, and, touching it with the open 



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