KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

ta 

his brother strip off his shirt, which was whiter 
than his own, he tore off the sleeves, and drew it 
upon the dog; and, having passed the animal’s 
fore-feet through the arm-holes, tied the collar 
securely round his throat with a piece of string, 
and knotted the skirts over the flanks behind. The 
dog was let loose again, while the brothers mounted 
hastily, and followed him. It was not long before 
they were rewarded by discovering their lost 
brother. 
Such is the mode of tracking with the blood- 
hound, when any one is lost upon the prairie, and 
when he is fortunate enough to have friends in 
possession of the dog and the blanket. 
We wish bloodhounds were never used for 
other purposes than this. Connected with 
their family history, however, are deeds of 
blood, to read of which causes the hair to 
stand erect. Poor animals! their sagacity 
is happily limited. They do their bidding, 
and are not answerable beyond the obedi- 
ence rendered. 
HAWKING. 
A GLANCE AT THE HERON. 

As when a cast of falcons make their flight 
At a wild herneshaw, tow’ring aloft on wing. 
SPENSER. 

SOME SHORT TIME SINCE, I was in Norfolk. 
It was the month of June. The place—in- 
termediate between the fens and the heronry ; 
time—the afternoon; the wind blowing 
towards the heronry. Four couple of casts 
of the female Peregrine Falcon were taken 
on their perches in the portable frame, secured 
to the perch by a slip of leather; each bird 
having a small bell on one of his legs; a 
leather hood with a piece of scarlet cloth 
stitched into it, over each eye, surmounted 
by a small plume of feathers on the top of 
the hood. 
Arrived at the spot, the falconer set down 
the frame, took off the falcons, and tethered 
them tothe ground. Four falconers attended 
as masters of the hawks, having their stuffed 
bags as lures. 
After a while some herons passed, but at 
too great a distance ; but one coming within 
reach, preparations were made for the attack. 
Two of the falconers mounted on horseback, 
having a glove or gauntlet on the right hand, 
perched the falcons thereon; holding the birds 
by aslip of leather, with the finger and thumb 
—their lure bags tied to their waists. The 
heron was nearly opposite, but at a great | 
height inthe air, when the falconers slippedthe 
hoods from the heads of the falcons, and gave 
them a toss from their hands. The instant 
they were liberated they saw their prey, and 
made straight at the quarry, though the 
heron was considerably ahead. 
As they were dashing after the heron, a 

crow happened to pass the line of pursuit, 
when one of them darted after it, but it struck 
down into a plantation and saved itself; the 
falcon struck down after it, but did not suc- 
ceed. The other falcon pursued the heron, 
which disgorged its ballast ofseveral fish; when, 
flying round in circles, he soared above the 
heron, and quickly descending, struck it on the 
back. Both came tumbling down together 
to the ground from a great height. The falcon 
that had lost time with the crow, came up as 
they were falling; at the same instant a rook 
appeared in the vicinity of the fray, when 
the latter-named falcon struck at it violently, 
and they both came down within twenty 
yards of the falcon with the heron. Each 
falcon began to pull its victim to pieces ; 
when the falconers rode up and rescued the 
heron, threw out their lures, and the birds 
were permitted to have a feed upon pigeons 
—having been kept fasting to make them 
hungry. When fed, they were hooded and 
put up for the day. 
The next cast, which consisted of two 
young ones, were let loose at a heron, and 
they flew well up toit. But this quarry was 
an old one. The moment he saw the enemy, 
he flew up a great height, and made a loud 
croak. Whether from the difficulty of the 
height, or the preparation for encounter on 
the part of the veteran bird, this pair of casts, 
after a few ceremonious flights around their 
prey, “raked off,”’ as it is called, and left it. 
The falconer, perceiving the affair to be off, 
gave « loud and peculiar cry ; when one of 
the falcons suddenly closed its wings and 
dropped froma great height, directly down, 
and alighted on the keeper’s hand; showing, 
in a most marked and extraordinary degree, 
the well-tutored adventurer, and the sagacity 
and tractableness of the race. 
The other young bird sailed about till 
another heron appeared, which it attacked, 
but did not show much fight; and soon left 
the combat. A third heron then came within 
range, when it flew at it with great sharp- 
ness, and soon brought the prey to the 
ground, as the former had done; the heron 
having its wing broken by the blow. The 
first heron, taken alive, was equal to try 
another flight; and a hawk was loosed on it, 
but it was struck down with great facility in 
a few seconds. It is generally understood 
that when a heron has once been thus taken, 
it will afford no second sport.—G. 
PRUDENCE. 

THAt prudence which the world teaches, and 
a quick susceptibility of private interest—will di- 
‘rect us to shun needless enmities; since there is 
no man whose kindness we may not some time 
want, or by whose malice we may not some time 
suffer —J OHNSON. 



