Nov. 4, 1886.j 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



288 



tlie floor of the hamper, projectmg a couple of feet beyond 

 it. This box is comfortably filled with straw, and the 

 home of the yoimg hawks is complete. Be wits, bells and 

 jesses, the latter made of somewhat lighter leather 

 than those used for an adult peregrine falcon and per- 

 fectly soft and well oiled, are now placed upon the legs 



of the young hawks. No leash is needed, however, it not 

 being necessaiy or advisable to tie fast the nestlings. 

 Feed your charges thrice daily, as above directed, and at 

 eacli meal blow loudly on a whistle as directed in a pre- 

 Adous paper as a part of the ti-aining of the haggard. In 

 the course of three or f om- days you \\dll probably find 

 your birds waiting for you on the top of the hamper when 

 you appear at feeding hours. 



It is now time to introduce the eyases to the lure. The 

 Im-e proper for hawks brouglit up from the nest (Fig. 1) is 

 made of a fork of hard wood, weighing from 2^ to Slbs., 

 each arm of the fork being about 6in. long. It is covered 

 tightly with strong scarlet cloth, and to either fork are 

 firmly and reatly lashed the wings of a pigeon. The 

 arms of the lure are pierced with convenient holes, 

 through which pass sti-ong cords with which to tie meat 

 to the appliance. A ring is inserted at the apex of the 

 fork and a swivel and strap attached thereto as a handle. 

 This instrument, with a tender beefsteak attached by the 

 cords is placed among the hungry young birds at feeding 

 time, and they are all allowed"" to feed from it, at the 

 same time giving them a few choice mouthfuls from the 

 hand, whistling shi-iUy tlie while. At yom- fourth or 

 fifth visit after the eyases have grown accustomed to the 

 Im-e, swing it round yom- head by the sti-ap and shout 

 your field call as you enter the room ; they will soon learn 

 that such demonstrations herald for them a full meal, and 

 will welcome you accordingly. Now have a lure for each 

 bird, and when the hawks begin to fly to the lures be sm'e 

 to have each garnished with particularly fresh and juicy 

 pieces of meat, but later, when the falcons fly eagerly to 

 them as a matter of com-se, place tough and gristly 

 pieces upon them, and when each bu'd is tugging at his 

 lure kneel among them, and, shouting your call, give some 

 juicy and tender jneces to each eyas. They will thus soon 

 learn that you give them more savory morsels than they 

 can obtain for themselves by the hardest pulling. Which 

 valuable lesson — ^to you — they will not fail to remember 

 and profit by. 



The eyases are now fed abimdantly twice daily from 

 tlie lure^, always receiving tender bits from your hand 

 at the same time. Though they will now fly far from 

 home (having from the fii'st been given perfect liberty, 

 the door of the out-house bemg always open, except at 

 night, before the nestlings can fly), and will have alto- 

 gether deserted then- hamper, they will seldom fail to 

 come to your whistle call and the swinging Im-e at every 

 meal. TJiey must, of course, be fed at regular hom-s, 

 morning and evening. After the birds become strong 

 and powerful in flight it is well to attach light leaden 

 balls (ioz. in weight for a gyi-falcou) to their bewits, to 

 prevent their preying for themselves, which they only too 

 soon leai-n to do. The jesses and bells are of course worn 

 all the while the falcon is at hberty. 



The young birds are now sai:l to "be "flying at hack," an 

 especially important era in then ti-aining, as it teaches 

 them judgment, power of '^'ing, and to know their home; 

 they also become more accustomed to strange scenes and 

 localities. "Hack" is usually kept up for about a month, 

 at the end of which time, or a little earlier or later, one 

 or more of the falcons will begin to come home irregTi- 

 larly, showing that he has learned to kill game for him- 

 self, and is no longer entirely dependent on your boimty. 

 It is now necessary to "take up" the "hack hawk",'' 

 Tln-oughout the taming of the eyases they have been 

 accustomed to the presence of dogs, horses and men, 

 especially at feeiiing time; with yom-self they are per- 

 fectly familiar, and taking up shoiild not be a very difia- 

 cult matter. 



Take up the wildest of the bnds first, by gently approach- 

 ing him while feeding on the hu-e and slipping a spiny 

 swivel with leash attached to the ring of his jesses. If 

 he be very wild the low net, already described, baited 

 with tlie lure, may have to be used to capture him. In 

 either case the hawk must not be permitted to eat a fuU 

 meal before being taken up, as "baiting on a full crop is 

 bad." Carry him, if possible, on the Im-e, into a darkened 

 outhouse, and there place as best you can a well-fitting 

 hood proper on his head. Immediately allow him to eat 

 a full meal through the hood if he does not decline to do 

 so, as he very probably wUl. The taking up should be 

 done in the late afternoon; caiTy him imtil dark on the 

 wrist. Unhood by candle light, and feed the falcon, 

 allowing him to finish liis meal thi-ough the hood. After 

 this carry him to the outhouse and tie him to a block for 

 the night. Unhood the hawk and make the room per- 



fectly dark, so that no light will enter in the morning. 

 The next morning hood up, and again carry the hawk as 

 before; feed through the hood out of doors, and while the 

 hawk is eating remove the cap, and again replace it be- 

 fore the meal is finished. This treatment is continued in 

 the same maimer as was directed for the haggard pere- 

 grine, until the eyas are perfectly "broken to the hood." 



The treatment of the young gji-falcon should now be 

 exactly the same as we recommended as proper for the 

 adult peregrine after breaking him to hood, whistle and 

 Im-e. Of course, if you have several eyases, each is taken 

 up from hack in tm-n, as soon as it shows any UTegularity 

 in returning for food. 



The eyas is trained to fly first to the wrist,, and then to 

 both lure and wrist from increasing distances, imtil a 

 distance of a thousand yards or more is reached, the hawk 

 coming eagerly to your call from the wrist of an assistant 

 almost as far as he can hear your voice. The falcon is 

 now given its first lessons in "waiting on" by means of 

 the lure, in precisely the same way as the wild-caught 

 hawk was taught, but the gyi'falcon cannot be trained to 

 wait on well in the field, and is generally "flown out of 

 the hood" at game. 



"When the above lessons are well learned, and the bu-d 

 no longer has any fear of sti-angers or animals, give the 

 falcon a brailed Uve pigeon at his block, and allow him 

 to eat it when killed. Next the eyas may be flown at a 

 couple of free pigeons, a few of whose primary wing 

 feathers have been pulled out, allowing him to eat them 

 when caught; and finally the eyas is flown at strong pig- 

 eons every other day for a couple of weeks before being 

 entered at wild game. Wlien the falcon brings down his 

 fii-st pigeon killed in a fair flight go gently but "confldently 

 up to him, whistling your call the while. Slip the leash 

 onto his jesses, peg him down by the former to an iron 

 Ijin, and allow the bn-d to "take 'his pleasiu-e" on Ms first 

 "game." On subsequent occasions approach at once, and 

 hit the quarry to which the hawk will cling tightly, place 

 the hawk on 'your wrist and feed him from the body of 

 the pigeon. This if it is not desired to fly the falcon a 

 second time that day, but if it is intended to again use 

 him cut off the head and neck of the pigeon, chopping 

 the body into a pocket, and feed the hawk from the brain 

 and neck meat. As the slight meal is finished hood him, 

 and he is ready after a short rest for a second or even a 

 thkd flight. It is even more important to sldLfully and 

 rapidly "serve" an eyas than it is in the case of the adult 

 caugh'tbu-d. When a pigeon dashes into cover the great- 

 est haste must be made to flush it, sliouting to encourage 

 the falcon at the same time, and a live pigeon should 

 always be carried to be substituted for the real quarry 

 should it be impossible to flush the latter. The pigeon 

 substituted may have a few long feathers pidled from one 

 wing, so as to make its capture more easy, in order to 

 encourage the falcon to "wait on" in future. 



The eyas is now ready to be "entered" at the game he 

 is intended to be first flown at, in the same way as the 

 haggard peregrine. The northern and common American 

 hares, the ptarmigan, pinnated giouse, cranes, herons 

 and water fowl, are suitable game for a gyrtiercel. Prob- 

 ably a powerful female would take tm-keys, swans, 

 geese and other strong quarry weU. As alre'ady stated 

 they have been trained to hunt otlier and far weaker 

 hawks, as well as vrdtures. 



The daily management of gyrfalcons, or eyases of any 

 species, does not differ from that already suggested as the 

 best for adult caught peregrines. The bath, shelter and 

 food should be precisely the same. The nobler falcon is, 

 however, more delicate than the dashing peregi'inus, and 

 requires rather more careful sheltering and attention. 

 Hawks should never be flown after they have been 

 allowed to eat any "castings" (j. e. , bones or feathers), 

 until they have "cast," or injury to the falcon may re- 

 sult. Saturday night eyases, like haggards, mus"t be 

 allowed to gorge themselves on as much warm bird as 

 they will eat. On days that they are not flown hawks 

 must be given a full meal in the morning, but only a few 

 mouthfuls in the evening: they will then be "sharp set" 

 for hunting the next morning. But if it is not proposed 

 to use them until afternoon the falcons may have two or 

 thi-ee small and perfectly lean pieces of beef early in the 

 morning. Of course the birds are always plentifully "fed 

 up" after having been flown for the last time m the after- 

 noon, jireferably from the body of their last quarry, but 

 beefsteak may be cai-ried along for this pm-pose if pre- 

 ferred. 



Falcons, if properly hunted, trained, fed and cared for, 

 are very hardy and long-lived; both peregTines and gyr- 

 falcons have been frequently known to live for from fif- 

 teen to twenty years iu captivity, and to be always in good 

 condition for hunting (except when moulting) throughout 

 that time, baiTing accidents. Their time of usefulness is 

 thus nearly twice as long as that of the dog, and a power- 

 ful and weU trained gyi-falcon will support a family in a 

 good game region. Some further points in regard to the 

 qualities and the care of falcons will be discussed in a 

 futm-e paper. 



Fig. 2 illustrates a hood proper, already described, in 

 profile, with the addition of the feather plume generally 



used by Em'opean falconers. The plume may be substi- 

 tuted for the leather strap if desired; the feathers are held 

 in position by a hollow cone of leather sewn fii-mly round 

 the base of the qudls and to the top of the hood. As be- 

 fore mentioned they are of com-se less durable than the 

 strap, bnt decidedly more ornamental. 



Fig. 3 shows the foot and tarsus of a gyrf alcon, show- 

 ing the partly feathered legs and the great power of talon 

 of tlris species. R. W. Seiss. 



THAT THIEVING RICE BIRD. 



Editor Forrest and Stream: 



The labors of the specialists of the Agricultm-al Depai-t- 

 ment at Washington, who have undertaken to investigate 

 the extent of the depredations committed by birds, and 

 the value of the services rendered by them as an offset to 

 such depredations, promise to be o'f important scientific 

 and economic interest. 



From such notices of their labors as have been allowed 

 to appear in the daily press their investigations into the 

 life habits of the predatory birds will go far to redeem 

 this class from the odium popularly attached to them. 



As regards the crow, the commission is represented as 

 suspending judgment pending further investigation, but 

 witn a professed leaning to the belief that the balance of 

 accoimt will be found in his favor. 



But as regards the whole family of hawks, they appear 

 to have seciired ample evidence of such service to man in 

 checking the undue increase of mice and other small 

 rodents — as well as of snakes and insects — that their occa- 

 sional depredations in the poultry yard are of uisigniflcant 

 account in comparison. 



But as the labors of the Commission were not under- 

 taken in support of any preconceived theory of the im- 

 portance of birds generally in the economy of nature, but 

 simply to ascertain facts as far as they came imder their 

 observation, it will not be surprising if, in estimating the 

 depredations of some other class or classes of birds, they 

 should be at a loss to discover such compensating seiwices 

 as will enable them to strike a balance in theii- favor. 



It is reported to have been brought to the notice of the 

 Commissioners that the melodious bobolink of the North, 

 in his character of the rice bird of the South, lays heavy 

 tribute upon the rice fields, devotu-ing the young grain to 

 the estimated value of three or fom- million dollars annu- 

 aUy. 



So grave and well substantiated a charge cannot be 

 brought against any other American bird, and in advo- 

 cating the standpoint of the Audubon Societt, thatbnds 

 generally play an imj)ortant part in fiu-thering om* ma- 

 terial progress, no exception can be taken to our making 

 'the bobolink a test case, and carefully estimating the 

 services which he renders as a set off to these depreda- 

 tions. 



These Southern rice fields are redeemed swamps, rich 

 in organic remains, with a liberal percentage of nitro- 

 genous matter, rendering them highly fertile. This 

 fertility is due entnely to animal remains, in the forma- 

 tion of which bu'ds and insects are the prime factors. 

 Tm-ning to the uncleared reed swamps in Georgia and 

 other States of the South, we find the rice fields of the 

 future in com'se of formation. There, too, we find the 

 bobohnk m his third character of the reed bird, feeding 

 alike on seed and insects, and converting aU into a richly 

 niti'Ogenous manm-e which mingles witli the decompos- 

 ing vegetable matter into a rich fertile soil, destmed to 

 the support of millions of om- race in the futm-e. 



No grain of rice or other cereal can be produced with- 

 out nitrogenous plant food, and all niti-ogenous plant 

 food, whether in the soil, or as ammonia in the ah-, is the 

 product of the decomposition of animal remains. Every 

 grain of rice or wheat is but a rearrangement of the 

 atoms which previously existed in some form of animal 

 fife or animal droppings, niti-ogenized in the process of 

 digestion. 



Every plant draws its support partly from the air, and 

 if liaving i-mi its com-se it is buried in the soil, it returns 

 to it, not only all it took from it, but fresh organic com- 

 IJOimds derived from the air. Land under vegetation 

 which is not removed by man is consequently alwaj-s im- 

 proving in fertility. This is so only to a very small ex- 

 tent, if decomposition takes place in" free dry an-. In this 

 case the substance derived from the atmosphere is decom- 

 posed into its elements and retm-ns to it, as when wood is 

 burned in an open fn-e. But if decaying vegetation falls 

 into wet mud and lies biu-ied in it a lai'^e portion of its 

 substance in the slow process of combiLstion is converted ' 

 into organic soil constituents, with humic acid. 



If vegetable matter passes thi-ough the stomachs of in- 

 sects it is converted into a higher class of manure, but 

 the richest and most highly nitrogenized manure is con- 

 tributed by bu-ds. All the larger animals contribute in 

 Life and death to the richness of the soil they derive their 

 support from. Every creatiu-e retiu-ns daily more to the 

 soil than it takes from it, but surprising as it may appear 

 the larger animals contribute little in comparison with 

 birds and insects. 



I have estimated that the progeny of a pair of butter- 



