25 
THE FALCON KIND. 
By this method of instruction, an hawk may be taught to 
y at an y game whatsoever; but falconers have chiefly 
contmed their pursuit only to such animals as yield them 
, 1 b y. 1 le capture, or pleasure in the pursuit The hare, 
ae partridge, and the quail, repay the trouble of taking 
!- ei , n ’i ut tbe most delightful sport is the falcon’s pursuit 
the heron, the kite, or the wood-lark. Instead of flying 
t uectly forward, as some other birds do, these, when they 
see themselves threatened by the approach of the hawk, 
■^mediately take to the skies. They fly almost perpen- 
icuiarly upward, while their ardent pursuer keeps pace 
d - . l . h f lr H, g h t, and tries to rise above them. Thus both 
muush by degrees from the gazing spectator below, till 
sect rl' U < i lute ^ os .t * n the clouds ; but they are soon seen dc- 
sid - IU ^’ stru ggl' n g together, and using every effort on both 
def * ’ lhe n , orle op ra pacious insult, the other of desperate 
ence. 1 he unequal combat is soon at an end : the fal- 
n comes oft' victorious, and the other, killed or disabled, 
made a prey either to the bird or the sportsman. 
~ ( ’ ,ber birds, they are not so much pursued, as they 
siahi i'i. straight forward, by which the sportsman loses 
i °. . ® cliace, and what is still worse, runs a chance of 
mg his falcon also. The pursuit of a lark by a couple of 
of t)' nS c °nsidcred, b y him only who regards the sagacity 
Pv M . le , C ace, f one of the most delightful spectacles this 
m P „ C - canaflbrd. Hie amusement is, to see one of the 
otbT? . ltn “ ,n g to get the ascendant of the lark, while the 
it« °, w Por lbc bes t advantage, waits the success of 
nr mp a, don s efforts ; thus, while one stoops to strike its 
" qq le °ther seizes it at its coming down, 
sir),, m ? re ‘g noble race of birds make up by cunning and as- 
* ,/ *T a . 1 these claim by force and celerity. The kite, which 
tai/ 6 i jstmguished from all the rest of this tribe by his forky 
tl’w' U “is slow floating motion, seems almost for ever upon 
everv K*‘” t ■ e , ive ? onl >' u P on accidental carnage, as almost 
bin/ Ti U1 , air is able to make good his retreat against 
w i, ' , maybe therefore considered as an insidious thief, 
wound"/ prowls about > and when he finds a small bird 
ther a clucken frayed too far from the rno- 
"limnn • y SG1Ze ^ the hour ofcalam ity, and, like a famished 
urn/ L 1 15 f Ure t0 S l‘ ew n ? merc y- His hunger, indeed, often 
ofiVinn'u' 0 acts seeming desperation. We have seen one 
chint- 1 ' 1 j U1 ? C an< ^ round f or a while to mark a clutch of 
unresis/’ a 'i t ..| hen ° n ^ sud den dart like lightning upon the 
ino- n g 'tde animal, and carry it off, the hen in vain cry- 
° V0J ’ and tbe ooys hooting and casting stones to scare it 
