2 24 A YEAR OF SPORT AND NATURAL HISTORY. 



as possible on the glove, bare-headed, that is, '[not hooded, 

 to accustom her to the sight of men and dogs, and other moving 

 objects, that she may put off all fear, and become as tractable 

 as any pointer or setter ; knowing her owner's voice, and obeying 

 his call or lure. The old falconers used to say that a hawk 

 should know no perch but her owner's fist, and there is a good 

 deal of reason in this, for the more a hawk is carried the better 

 she will be. 



The first step is to induce the bird to come off the perch 

 on to the glove, which .is always worn on the left hand, to leave 

 the right hand free for detaching leash and swivel before she 

 is flown. This end is usually attained by offering a little bit of 

 meat in the glove, or the .leg or wing of a fowl or pigeon ; but 

 only a mouthful should be given as a reward for obedience, for it 

 must be remembered that a hawk must be flown fasting, and 

 rewarded for killing, or for coming back after an unsuccessful 

 flight ; and if too much be given at a time, her hunger is thereby 

 appeased, and she has no longer any incentive to hunt. When 

 she will step readily off the perch on to the fist, the leash being 

 untied, the distance should be increased from a foot to a yard, 

 and at length to several yards, until eventually she will fly 

 willingly across the room to her master. This lesson being 

 repeated out of doors, from a field gate or the top of a stone wall, 

 while for safety a long line is tied to the swivel — which in turn is 

 attached to the jesses, or little leather strap round her legs — 

 in a few days she will come readily on being called, and the 

 line may then be dispensed with. She may then be lured with a 

 dead rabbit, or part of one, thrown down and drawn with a 

 line along the ground. After coming readily to this several 



