LARK-HAWKING 137 



form shown by a lark that has been put in and routed out is 

 generally not so good as before he put in. But there are many 

 exceptions. A lark got up in the open down before Eva, pro- 

 bably the best hawk I ever had. But before she could get to 

 him, he fell without a blow, right in the open. Eva was then 

 young, and rather fat, and wanted a hard flight, so I was in two 

 minds whether I would not leave this weak-spirited lark, and go 

 on and find a better one. Either the lark got up of his own 

 accord before I had decided, or else I resolved to fly him ; any- 

 how, when he started for the second time he went right up into 

 the sky. There was a ringing flight of immense height ; and 

 after a great many stoops the lark was bested, and came down 

 into a field where there were stooks of wheat. Eva sat on the 

 top of a stook with her mouth open ; the lark underneath, doubt- 

 less in no better plight. I might have walked miles and not 

 found a lark which afforded me so much sport, and the hawk 

 such a lung-opener. 



The first time your merlin puts in a lark, do not take her on 

 your fist, unless she goes away from the spot. Let her take 

 perch close at hand. Be very careful indeed to drive out the 

 fugitive towards her, so that she sees it go away. By this means 

 she will see that there is no deception ; that it is really the same 

 lark ; and that you have done her the service to rout it out. 

 But on subsequent occasions it is best always to call the hawk 

 to the fist before you put up the quarry. Otherwise he may 

 very possibly go off when she is not looking, especially if the 

 hawk is on the ground, as she will be if the lark has put in to a 

 tuft of grass, or in clover, or, as they will when hard pressed, in 

 stubbles. A propos of putting in, remember always that the 

 country for lark-hawking must be, if you are to have good 

 flights, even more open than that necessary for rooks. It requires 

 so small a shelter to conceal a lark. Even the high grass which 

 often fringes a road across the downs, a patch of nettles or 

 thistles, an old stone wall, or a waggon, will tempt a faint-hearted 

 ringer to come down. He comes down to almost certain death ; 

 for the man is there, in alliance with the hawk. But the ringing 

 flight is spoilt; and that is what you do not want to occur. 

 The better the hawk, the more ready the lark is to put in. So 

 that the mere length of flight does not prove much as to the 

 excellence either of pursuer or pursued, unless you know from 

 experience what is the ability of the former. 



Larks, for hawking purposes, may be divided into three 

 kinds. First there is the " ground " lark — generally deep in 

 moult — who does not mount at all, but makes off as hard as he 



