168 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



which serves to steady the flight. The Besra sparrow-hawk, as 

 has already been said, is used as well as the common species. 



A quotation from the last-named author will here, perhaps, 

 be found to the point. " Set your sparrow-hawke," he says, 

 "every morning abroade in the sunne two houres, or neare 

 thereabouts, and set her to the water twice in a weeke at the 

 least, and especially nyasses, for they covet the water more 

 than the rest. Soar sparrow-hawks should not be flown withal 

 too soone in a morning, for they soare willingly. Take your 

 sparrow-hawke from the pearche alwayes with somewhat in 

 your hand, to make her love you, and be fond of you, for that is 

 a thing of no small importance and consideration. And also to 

 make your sparrow-hawke foot great fowles, to the end that she 

 may not learn nor be accustomed to carrion. And as touching 

 mewing of a sparrow-hawke, some use to put her in the mew 

 as soon as they leave fleeing with her, cutting off both her 

 bewits, lines, and the knots of her jesses, and leave her in the 

 mew until she be cleane mewed. But if you will have her to 

 flee at partridge, quail, or the feazent poult, then you must 

 draw her in the beginning of April, and have her on the fist 

 till she be cleane and thoroughly enseamed. And they which 

 delight in haggarts must take great heede that they offend 

 them not, but rather coy them as much as they can, with all 

 devices of favour and cherishing. For they will remember 

 favor or injurie much better than any kind of hawke. And he 

 which hath a haggart sparrow-hawke must above all thinges 

 take paines in weyning her from that vile fault of carrying: 

 and that shall he do by serving her often with greate pullets 

 and other great traines, the which she cannot carry, and thereby 

 she will learne to abide upon the quarry." 



Mr. Riley has given me some extracts from his hawking 

 diary, in which the following scores are recorded : — 



Blanche (eyess female), 1885-86 — 44 blackbirds, 13 thrushes, 

 1 partridge, 2 small birds. 



Lady Mabel (eyess female), 1887-88 — 56 blackbirds, 5 

 thrushes, 4 water-hens, 3 partridges, 1 pheasant, 2 small 

 birds. 



Faerie (eyess female), 1889-90 — 64 blackbirds, 3 thrushes, 

 4 water-hens, 1 partridge, 4 small birds. 



Ruby (eyess female), 1894-95 — 106 blackbirds, 1 partridge, 

 1 starling, 1 small bird. 



