CHAPTER VII 



-j» ^ ,\ Rook-Hawking 



L?YESSES,as well as passage peregrines, may be flown at 

 F, the rook ; but this quarry is more suitable for a falcon 

 than a tiercel. Mr. O'Keefe used eyess falcons for this flight, 

 and once killed with them on the Curragh of Kildare as many 

 as 117 in three weeks. William Barr had an eyess which, when 

 entered to rooks, took as many as seven in nine flights. Comet, 

 belonging to Mr. Brodrick, took many rooks. It is only rather 

 exceptionally that a tiercel can be got to fly them. But Mr. 

 Newcome's passage tiercel, Will o' the Wisp, took them very 

 well. The difficulty which is generally experienced in entering 

 falcons to rooks is much greater in their brothers' case. And 

 the superiority of the passage hawk over the eyess is more 

 marked in this flight than in game-hawking. Besides peregrines, 

 several other kinds of long-winged hawks may be trained to 

 take this quarry — gers of both sexes, lanners, and perhaps some 

 lannerets, and the shaheen falcon, both black and red. No 

 doubt the saker of both sexes would afford excellent sport 

 with rooks. I am not aware that the training of any of these 

 hawks for such a flight differs from that recommended for the 

 peregrine. 



For a rook-flight very open country is required. It would 

 be no use to attempt it in what is called a well-wooded district, 

 or where hedge-row trees grow as they do in the far greater 

 part of cultivated England. A single tree, or even tall bush, 

 will ruin a whole square mile of otherwise suitable ground. 

 Nor is it sufficient that the land should be clear of trees and 

 buildings. Many other obstacles, such as tall, stiff hedges, wire 

 railings, and even sheep-folds, full or empty, are detrimental to 

 the sport. A flock of sheep, a drove of pigs, or even a herd of 

 cattle being driven along, is quite^enough to utterly spoil a good 

 flight. Thus in all England there are but few places where you 



