226 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



hawk is at all poor in condition. As for the tail feathers, 

 although they are of less importance to a hawk's flying, they 

 require almost more care than those of the wing. In this 

 particular, short-winged hawks, with their very long trains, are 

 more liable to injury than the others. A very common occasion 

 of damaging a tail feather arises while a hawk is being broken 

 to the hood. As the attempt is made to push the hood on and 

 over the head, the patient flinches and draws back the upper 

 part of her body, forcing the tail strongly against the wrist of 

 the operator, if this is in the way. Those feathers upon which 

 the strain bears hardest are very apt to give way ; and even if 

 the awkward falconer has succeeded in getting the hood on, he 

 finds to his chagrin that he has done so at the expense of a 

 damaged hawk. It is of course for this reason that T have 

 advised the tying up of the tail whilst hooding lessons are being 

 given. In actual flights there are certain risks of injury to tail 

 feathers, although if they are all in perfect condition these risks 

 are less than might be supposed. The struggle which occurs 

 on the ground between the hawk and a robust quarry which is 

 bigger than herself severely tries these feathers, as the former 

 is obliged to make use of them to steady herself and resist the 

 efforts of the desperate victim to upset her or drag her along 

 the ground. The fight between a merlin and a partridge or 

 pigeon is of comparatively short duration, as the little hawk, 

 having her foot tightly clenched round the neck of her captive, 

 is sure of its death within a minute or so. But a sparrow-hawk 

 battling with a full-grown partridge has a tough job before her, 

 and is sometimes forced backwards on to her expanded tail, so 

 that it may give way at any weak spot, if there is one. A gos- 

 hawk which has bound to a full-grown hare, or even a big buck 

 rabbit, has even a hotter time of it. 



In double flights, when both hawks have fastened on to the 

 same quarry, and are dragging at it in the hope of obtaining 

 sole possession, there is also danger to the tails. I must admit 

 that I know of no case in which mischief has been done, but it 

 is impossible to watch such a struggle, while hastening up to 

 interfere, without seeing that it may be fatal to some of the 

 feathers so roughly used. The arrival of the falconer on such 

 occasions, in the r61e of mediator, must be welcome to both 

 hawks ; and he should at once catch hold of the quarry by one 

 wing, and, holding it tight down, proceed to the work of separ- 

 ating the hawks. When the quarry is a large bird, he will offer 

 to the hawk which seems to have the least firm hold a sub- 



