146 archer: merlins and their training. 



tie some wing feathers of a pigeon or any similar bird. Then at the 

 narrow end you fasten a strong piece of string with which to swing 

 the lure round in the air when you are out in the field flying your 

 bird, and another piece of string with two ends to it by which you 

 tie the bird's food. 



A small bell may be attached on one leg or not, as you like. 

 I use one on which I have my name and address engraved, and 

 by this means I recovered my favourite Merlin ' Nell,' after an 

 absence of four days early this year. 



Now we must go back a little to show how the jesses are to 

 be placed on the Merlin's legs. Take one of the jesses and put 

 it round the leg and draw one of the points through the slit, making it 

 close round the leg, put it through again and draw around the leg, 

 but not too tightly, and it will then be in its proper place. Do 

 the same with the other leg, and your jesses are then on as they 

 should be. Now take the leash and pass the unbuttoned end through 

 both of the remaining slits of the jesses and draw it up to the button 

 at the other end, and your bird is ready to be placed on the block, 

 one end of the leash being passed through the staple and so fastened. 



You can keep your bird in any suitable outhouse or spare room, 

 and should always have a little sawdust and sand round the block 

 for the castings, &c., which should be removed two or three times a 

 week. 



Having then got the jesses and leash on your bird, and the bird 

 removed to where you intend to keep it, give it a small piece of 

 meat (raw or cooked, it matters not which, and either beef, mutton, 

 liver, or kidney will do, but no fat), and now leave it in absolute 

 quietness for twenty-four hours. 



When you feed your bird the next day (and it should be noted 

 here that Merlins are fed only once a day, and that, at as near the 

 same time as possible ; and when you are flying them out in the open 

 you do not feed them at all the day before), give him his food from 

 your hand, tearing up the meat into small pieces, and blow your 

 whistle every now and then. Repeat this for three or four days, until 

 your bird gets accustomed to you. After this you now tie the meat 

 on the lure every day, and untying the leash from the block hold the 

 lure a short distance away from the bird and get it to fly on to the 

 lure, and so feed from it, at the same time blowing your whistle 

 when you offer the lure. Increase the distance every day until at last 

 you can get the Merlin to come to you, say at a distance of ten 

 yards. You can then take the bird out into the field and give him 

 his first flight to the lure for food. To do so you must have a line of 

 very fine whipcord about eighty yards long, which must be tied to the 



Naturalist, 



