92 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



not the beginner be afraid of getting his hawk too fond of him. 

 She should " rejoyce in him,'" as the old falconers expressed it, 

 and at sight of him be all excitement to come to him, not only 

 for food, but for the chance of a flight, which she will soon 

 begin to think that he alone can procure for her. Even wild 

 hawks will sometimes wait on upon their known enemy, man, 

 on the chance of his putting up game, and so " serving them," 

 as the saying is. How much more should a trained hawk do, 

 who is beginning to know that the falconer is a good friend ? 



Our charges must now be classified in a different way. The 

 distinction is not now so much between eyess and passager, as 

 between long-winged and short- winged — between those which are 

 to be flown at one or other sort of quarry. Thus, short-winged 

 hawks of both kinds, eagles, merlins, and all the long-winged 

 hawks which are to be flown at rook, heron, kite, or gull, are 

 flown from the fist, whereas hobbies and all the long-winged 

 hawks which are destined to fly either at game or duck are 

 allowed to mount to their pitch before the quarry is sprung, 

 and from thence descend upon it. We may first speak of the 

 first-mentioned category, premising that as far as safety is con- 

 cerned the flight from the fist is preferable. 



We assume that the hawk will come readily to the lure or 

 the fist as soon as she has a chance. Now contrive, if you can, 

 that your assistant, having her hooded on his fist, shall stand 

 on an open ground at a distance from you of some two hundred 

 yards, and that somewhere between you there is a live bird or 

 beast of a suitable kind on the ground, or in a very small 

 bush. In the case of a merlin a wild lark may very possibly 

 be marked down in such a position. So may a blackbird for a 

 sparrow-hawk, or a rabbit for a goshawk, or even a young par- 

 tridge for a peregrine, ger, or lanner. If you cannot manage to 

 make this arrangement with a wild creature, you must employ 

 a bagged one for the nonce as a substitute — a poor one, no 

 doubt; but it may serve the turn, if used in the way to be 

 presently described. Now let the assistant unhood the hawk ; 

 and make sure that somehow or other you can put up that 

 marked quarry when you like. As soon as the hawk has had 

 time to look round and has looked towards you, let the man 

 walk in the same direction, and walk in yourself to put up the 

 quarry. When you are close upon it and are sure that it is 

 about to rise, you may show the lure for a moment, quickly 

 hiding it again. And, as the hawk starts towards you, put up 

 the quarry with a shout. If you are quick enough, it will rise 

 just as the hawk is approaching the spot where it was, and the 



