588 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 



refuge in a tree, from which the falconers had much trouble to drive 

 them, so great was their terror for their pursuers. 



For field and river spoi't the falcon is not let fly direct from the 

 fist ; that is, the falcon does not attack immediately on leaving the 

 hand — it is thrown up, or, in common parlance, is let fly, before the 

 game flushes. The falcon hovers for some time, and then stoops 

 down on the prey which the dogs have forced to take wing. In 

 order to escape its persecutor the wild duck often returns to the 

 water ; from this the dogs again force it to take wing. The hare is 

 hunted in much the same way. 



Hawking is even nowadays held in high repute by the Arabs 

 in the north of Africa and in Asia. In the Sahara they train their 

 birds to hunt the antelope. 



In Persia and Turkestan the falcon is not trained, as it used to 

 be in Europe, for some special game, but accustomed to stoop at all 

 kinds of prey. Hunting the antelope with hawks is a diversion much 

 esteemed among these nations. The plan adopted is as follows : — 



"The Persians," says Thevenot, the traveller, "provide stuffed 

 gazelles, on the noses of which they always place the food for their 

 falcons, and never feed them anywhere else. After they have been 

 thus trained they take them out into the open country, and when 

 they see a gazelle they let fly two of these birds, one of which darts 

 down on the nose of the gazelle, and fastens on to it with its 

 talons. The gazelle stops short, and shakes himself to get rid of 

 the bird ; but the latter keeps his place for some time by means of 

 flapping his wings, thus preventing the gazelle from running fast, and 

 even from seeing where it is going. When at last, with some "trouble, 

 the gazelle disengages itself from its pursuer, the other falcon, which 

 is flying near, takes the place of the one thrown off ; the latter, in 

 its turn, again resumes the assault when its companion has fallen. 

 The birds thus hinder the running of the gazelle, so that the dogs 

 easily overtake it." 



In Egypt the falcon is trained for this kind of sport by taking 

 it young, limiting the quantity of its food, and then frequently 

 bringing it into the presence of sheep, when, being in a famished 

 state, the bird unhesitatingly darts on them. 



Hawking is also held in esteem in India, both by the natives 

 and European residents. It is no rare thing to see young ladies 

 reviving all the customs of the Middle Ages, and penetrating into 

 the jungles mounted on elephants, accompanied by their falcons, 

 which are flown at the charming blue antelope. 



In China and Japan hawking is also very popular : in the course 



