402 
HAWK. 
this means frequently repeated, he was taught to 
distinguish that animal. 
They have even been taught to fly at the larger 
wild animals. Gamelli Carreri mentions a person 
who accustomed his young falcons betimes to eat 
what was prepared for them, out of the sockets of 
the eyes of a wolf, a boar, or some other wild beast ; 
for which purpose, he preserved the head and skin 
of the first animal he could kill, and stuffed it in 
such a manner that the creature seemed to be alive, 
and the falcons had nothing to eat but what they 
picked out of the cavity of the eyes : after a certain 
time, he began to move this figure gradually while 
the falcon was feeding; and at length the bird learns 
to fasten upon it, though the beast is drawn back- 
wards and forwards with a very quick motion. The 
certainty of losing his meal were he to quit his hold, 
made him attentive to fix himself well on the skull, 
that he might dig his bill into the eye, notwith- 
standing the motion. When these first exercises 
were over, the gentleman placed the carcass on a 
cart, drawn by a horse in full speed, and followed 
by the falcon, who continued feeding during the 
whole time. Thus tutored, when they came to fly 
him in the field, he never failed to dart on the first 
beast he discovered, and immediately fastened on 
his head in order to scoop out his eyes. This throws 
the creature into agonies ; and whilst he is engaged 
with the bird, the hunters have time to approach 
and kill him without danger. 
The diversion of hawking can be traced back in 
