Ml?. T. .1. MANN ON HAWKS. 
GGl 
swivel being removed, and the Falconer draws away some hundred 
yards up wind, with a live Pigeon on a lure string. The assistant 
unhoods and casts off the Hawk as soon as the Pigeon is well 
on wing : the Hawk then stoops, and the Falconer suddenly 
pulls away the Pigeon, the Falcon or Tiercel misse.s its lure and 
throws itself upwards; again the Hawk stoops, and again the 
Falconer draws the Pigeon aw.ay, putting it inside his coat, but this 
must not be repeated too often, or the Hawk is apt to become dis- 
heartened and “rake away.” These lessons much assist the Falconer 
i?i getting his Hawk into wind and hard muscle. "When the Hawk 
will wait on for some time and kill the Pigeons well, wild Quarry 
may be looked for. An open country with large fields and no ti-ee.s 
is the best, but on no aranmt put up your Hawk unle.ss you have 
marked some quarry down, for to disappoint a young Hawk at the first 
venture is bad work indeed ; and to prevent this you must have 
a brown Pigeon, or, if possible, a Partridge, to take him down with. 
Having marked your birds down, put your Hawk on the wing, 
giving him time to get to his pitch, then walk the turnips or 
whatever the cover may be in line, the same as in Partridge' shoot- 
ing, the Falconer being midway in the line. Some use a staunch 
Setter to find the birds, but I work Fox Terriers. Doubtless a Setter 
looks better in the field, and for Grouse is indispensable ; but I, in 
my Partridge hawking, have so many puts in in grassy or rushy 
banks, that no Setter could put them out, and even if successful, 
he would soon become too unsteady by the “hark forward.” 
Should a loud “ whoo-whoop ! ” follow on a “ who ha-ha-ha ” 
(which is the Falconer’s cry when the quarry is flushed), feed up 
on the Partridge ; going home well content at having tasted the 
“ Sport of Kings.” 
The jMerlin is also obtainable from the northern moors, where 
they nest on the ground sheltered by the heather. These charming 
little birds are the smallest of our long-winged Hawks. They are 
very delicate, and when first taken up from hack should be fed 
twice or thrice a day, and in fact, when in training, a ^lerlin 
requires ju.st a little piece of sheep’s heart in the early morning 
should you intend Hying it in the afternoon. Great care must l)e 
shown in being sure that the food is perfectly fresh, and never feed 
in the morning until the ^lerlin has cast Thej’ are as a rule 
entered at live Larks, but I have flown a ^^erlin at them without 
