56 
HABITS OF THE JERF ALCOA. 
is trussed and tlie hunt is over ; but if a wing only is broken, the maimed bird is allowed to 
flutter to the earth, and another is marked out for the collision of death. 
“It sometimes happens that the mountain crow comes in for the wounded game, but in 
order to do so it must proceed stealthily along the ground, for woe betide it if it rises on the ' 
wing and meets the glance of the Falcon. The raven himself never scoops out another eye if 
he rises to attempt that one ; and it is by no means improbable that in the early season in 
those cold northern countries, when the lambs are young and the flock weak, and the crows 
and ravens prowl about blinding and torturing, the Jerfalcon may be of considerable service 
to the shepherd.” " 
When at liberty in its native land, it seems to prefer birds to any other kind of prey, and 
will resolutely attack birds of considerable size, such as the heron or stork. It will also chase 
hares and rabbits, and in the pursuit of this swift game is so eager, that after knocking over 
one hare, it will leave the maimed animal struggling on the ground while it goes off in chase 
of another. Although its home is in the chilly wastes of those northern regions, the bird is in 
no want of food, finding ample supply in the sea birds which swarm around the tall cliffs that 
jut into the waves, and being able from its great powers of flight to range over a vast extent of 
country in search of its daily food. 
On account of the singular power, swiftness, and courage of this bird, it was in former 
days held in the highest estimation, and could only be purchased at a most extravagant 
price. Not only must it be taken at the imminent risk of life, from the almost inaccessible 
cliffs on which it builds its nest, but it must also be specially brought from Iceland or 
Norway, and trained after its arrival at its new residence. As the bird is a most unruly 
and self-willed creature, its instruction was a matter of very great difficulty, and could 
only be achieved by the most patient of skilful teachers. So highly, indeed, was this bird 
valued, that after the hawking season was over, and the ordinary hawks permitted to fly 
at liberty according to custom, the Jerfalcon was retained by its owner, and kept for the next 
year. The training of this bird is a long and tedious process, and is managed after the 
following manner. 
It is allowed that all hawks are fierce and untameable in proportion to the latitude in 
which they reside, those which inhabit the northern and colder parts of the earth being much 
fiercer and less tameable than those of more southern regions ; so that the course of training 
through which a Jerfalcon is forced to pass is much more severe than that which suffices to 
render a Peregrine Falcon subservient to its teacher. 
The first object which the trainer bears in mind is, to reduce the strength of the bird by 
slow degrees, so as to prevent it from injuring itself by the fierce and protracted struggles 
with which it would endeavor to resist any advance on the part of the teacher. This object is 
obtained by giving the bird only half the usual allowance of food, and by steeping the meat in 
water before the Falcon is permitted to touch it. A leathern hood, which answers the double 
purpose of blinding the eyes and keeping the beak closed, is placed on the head, and never 
removed except at night, so that the bird remains in perpetual darkness for ten days or a 
fortnight. If the bird attempts to bite when the hood is removed, cold water is splashed in 
its face, and if it is very savage, it is plunged entirely under water. By the end of fifteen or 
sixteen days, the Falcon becomes used to the handling to which it is subjected, and will permit 
the hood to be removed and replaced, without offering any resistance. 
The next part of the instruction is to teach the bird to pounce upon any object that may 
be pointed out by the instructor, whether it be a heron moving in the air, or a hare running 
on the ground. 
The skin of the intended prey is employed for this purpose, and the bird is invariably fed 
while standing on this skin. Wlien it is accustomed to associate the idea of the hare or heron 
skin with the pleasure of satisfying its hunger, the skin, if it be that of a hare, is drawn along 
the ground, and the falcon encouraged to pursue it. As soon as the bird pounces, the teacher 
looses his hold of the skin, and permits his pupil to feast on the meat which has been pre- 
viously attached to it. Next day the skin is placed at a distance of several yards before it is 
started, and the distance is gradually increased, so that the bird learns to search in every 
