25G Accipitres. BIRDS. FaecoxiDvE. 
wind to gain their place of retreat. When a heron 
passes, a cast of hawks is lot go. The heron disgorges 
Ids food when he finds he is pur.sned, and endeavours 
to keep above the hawks hy rising in the air ; the hawks 
fly in a spiral direction to get above the heron, and thus 
the three birds frequently appear to be flying in different 
directions. The first hawk makes his stoop as soon as 
lie gets above the lieron, who evades it by a shift, and 
thus gives the second hawk time to get up and to stoop 
in his turn. In what is deemed a good flight this is 
frequently repeated, and the three birds often mount to 
a great height in the air. When one of the hawks 
seizes his pre}^ the other soon hinds to him, as it is 
termed, and, buoj'ant from the motion of their wings, 
the three descend together to the ground with but little 
velocity. The falconer must lose no time in getting 
liold of the heron’s neck when he is on the ground, to 
[irevent him from injuring the hawks. It is then, 
and not when lie is in the air, that he will use his beak 
in his defence.” From this animated description of the 
scene, the sportsman will probably sympathize with the 
enthusiasm for this diversion exhibited by our fore- 
fathers. Indeed one can imagine few scenes of a more 
exciting nature. 
In a wild state the Peregrine Falcon tyrannizes 
unmercifully over all the weaker part of the feathered 
creation. In most districts grouse and partridges 
seem to constitute his favourite food, and it is at 
such game as this that the male or tiercel is trained to 
fly ; but when the Peregrine has his dwelling-place in 
the vicinity of water frequented by aquatic birds, he 
jireys freely upon these, pouncing down upon them 
whilst swimming peacefully on the surface of the water, 
and carrying them off in his talons with the most 
astonishing address. Rabbits and leverets are also 
frequently destroyed by these falcons. Their boldness 
is such that they have even been known to strike 
grouse sprung by the sportsman’s dogs, before the birds 
had risen high enough to be shot at, and in several 
cases w'ounded birds have been carried off by them. 
The Peregrine Falcon usually builds its nest amongst 
the nearly inaccessible rocks and cliff’s of the sea-coast, 
but is also known frequently to select an inland station 
for this purpose. The nest, which is composed of sticks 
and dried plants, is a bulky structure, and in it the 
female lays three or four eggs, of a dull light-red colour 
with darker spots. 
THE SULTAN FALCON, [Falco peregrinator) called 
the SItaheen by the natives of Hindostan, is a species 
nearly allied to the Peregrine, to which it is even pre- 
ferred for the purposes of falconry in India. It is 
found in all the Indian peninsula, and also in other 
regions of Asia, especially to the south-west, breeding 
amongst high rocky hills, usually in the vicinity of 
jungle or forest. In the wild state it feeds principally 
on partridges, quails, and similar game, and is also said 
to have a strong predilection for the paroquets winch 
abound in India. 
This falcon, according to Mr. Jerdon, is always 
trained for what, in falconer’s language, is called a 
“ standing gait;” that is to say, it is not carried on the 
hand until the quarry is started, and then throwm off; 
but is instructed to hover and circle at a considerable 
i 
height in the air, above the heads of the hawking party, 
watching for the starting of the game, upon which it 
immediately descends with a fatal swoop. “ It is a fine 
sight,” says Mr. Jerdon, “ to see this fine bird stoop 
on a partridge or florikin ( Otis aurita) which has flushed 
at some considerable distance from it, as it often makes 
a wide circuit round the party. As soon as the falcon 
observes the game which has been flushed, it makes 
two or three onw'ard plunges in its direction, and then 
darts down obliquely, with half-closed wings, on the 
devoted quarry with more than thevelocityof an arrow.” 
The birds best adapted for this sport are those bred in 
the vicinity of open country, as these acquire a greater 
strength of wing; the forest-bred birds adopt a more 
lazj^ mode of existence, perching quietly on the trees, and 
thus watching for their prey. The mode of capturing 
these and other flrlcons in India is peculiar. At the 
season when the young birds are known to be about, 
the falconers make their appearance in the district with 
a little apparatus called an Eerv)an, which consists of 
a thin strip of cane, about equal in length to the expanse 
of wing of the falcon to be captured, and having its 
ends smeared with bird-lime for several inches. To 
the centre of this stick the falconers tie a living bird, 
usually a dove, the eyes of which are previously sewed 
up ; this is let loose in sight of the falcon, which imme- 
diately pounces down upon it, smears his wings with 
the bird-lime, and falls to the ground. 
THE JUGGUR [Falco Jugger) is another Indian 
species; and, indeed, the most abundant of the large 
falcons on the peninsula of Hindostan. It is, however, 
a heavier and slower bird than either of the preceding, 
and is consequently less valued by the falconers. It 
is pi'incipally flown at crows, and the dodges of the 
latter, when they find themselves the object of pursuit, 
are described as exceedingly amusing. They use every 
artifice to make their escape, taking refuge amongst 
horses, cattle, and vehicles, and even entering houses. 
Mr. Jerdon mentions a case in which one of these 
falcons struck a crow so close to a v'asherman’s fire, 
where it had taken refuge, that the wing feathers of the 
falcon were bmmt. 
The Paddy Bird also affords great sport with the 
Juggur; it is always found feeding amongst cattle, and 
when pursued dodges its enemy with such dexterity 
that the hawk is not unfrequently foiled, and some- 
times even trodden under foot. In a state of nature 
the Juggur ditfers somewhat from the irreceding species; 
it is alwa^'s met with in cultivated districts, building its 
nest in a tall tree. Its food consists of small birds, and 
it occiasionally steals a chicken from the cantonments. 
THE LANNEE. (Falco lanarms) is also allied to the 
Peregrine falcon. It is a native of Nepal and South- 
western Asia, from which countries it was formerly 
imported into Europe for the purposes of falconry. It 
also occurs in the eastern parts of Europe. This bird 
was often flown at kites, which its great strength enabled 
it to cope with; the Peregrine falcon, a smaller bird, 
being unequal to this contest. In France this chase 
of the kite was regarded as a royal amusement, and, 
from this circumstance, the kite is still described by 
some French writers under the names of Milan royal 
and Milvus regalis. 
