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grand national sport of f ox-hvint ing , Stringent laws and 

 enactments, notably in the reigns of William the Conqueror, 

 Edward 111, Henry Vlll, and Elizabeth, were passed from 

 time to time in its interest. Falcons and hawks were allotted 

 to degrees said orders of men according to rank and station — 

 for instance, to royalty the jerfalcons, to an earl the pere- 

 grine, to a yeoman the goshawk, to a priest the sparrowhawk, 

 and to a knave or servant the useless kestrel. The writings 

 of Shakespeare f\irnish ample testimony of the high and uni- 

 versal estimation in which it was held in his days. About 

 the middle of the 17th century falconry began to decline in 

 England, to revive somewhat at the Restoration. It never, 

 however, completely recovered its former favor, a variety 

 of causes operating against it, such as the enclosure of 

 waste lands, agricultxiral improvements, and the introduction 

 of firearms into the sporting field, till it fell, as a 

 national sport, almost into oblivion. Yet it has never been 

 even temporarily extinct, and it is still very successfully 

 practiced at the present day. 



In Europe all the game, or "quarry" at which hawks are 

 flown consists of grouse (confined to the British Isles) 

 black game, pheasants, partridges, quails, landrails, ducks, 

 teal, woodcocks, snipes, herons, rooks, crows, gulls, magpies, 

 jays, blackbirds, thrushes, larks, hares, and rabbits. In 

 former days geese, cranes, kites, ravens, and bustards were 

 also flown at. Old German works make much mention of the 

 use of the Iceland falcon for taking the great bustard, a 

 flight scarcely alluded to by English writers. In Asia the 

 list of quarry is longer, .and in addition to all the fore- 

 going, or their Asiatic representatives, various kinds of 

 bustards, sand grouse, storks, ibises, spoonbills, pea-fowl, 

 jxmgle-fowl, kites, vultures, and gazelles are captured by 

 trained hawks. In Mongolia and Chinese Tartary, and among 

 the nomad tribes of §entral Asia, tha sport still flourishes; 

 and though some late accounts are not satisfactory either 

 to the falconer or the naturalist, yet they leave no doubt 

 but that a species of eagle i still trained in these regions 

 to take large game, as antelopes and wolves. Mr. Atkinson, 

 in his account of his travels in the country of the Amoor 

 makes particular mention of the aport, as does Mr, Shaw in 

 his work on Yorkland, smd in a letter from the -^ttrka^and "^a.^cXojnti 

 embassy under Mr. Forsyth, C.B., dated from camp near Yoirk- 

 -^nd, Nov- 27, 1873, the following passage occ\irs:- "Hawking 

 appears to be the favorite amusement, the golden eagle taking 

 the place of the falcon or hawk. This novel sport seemed - 

 very successful." It is questionable whether the bird here 

 spoken of is the golden eagle. In Africa gazelles are taken, 

 and also partridge and wildfowl. 



The hawks used in England at the present time are the 

 three great northern falcons, viz., the G^f inland, Iceland, 

 ond Norway falcons, the peregrine falcon, the hobby, the 

 SrllSftL goshawk, and'^th^ sparrow hawk. Jn former days 

 ?he saker, the lanner, and the Barbary, or Tunisian falcon 

 were also employed. 



