148 AMID THE HIGH HILLS 
sparrow-hawk has none of the true falcon's scruples 
about plucking (and even, I fear, beginning to 
devour) a living bird. 
"I do not like the sparrow-hawk for this 
reason, though, of course, the falconer can gener- 
ally prevent cruelty by killing the quarry himself." 
Captain G. S. Blaine, another falconer of great 
experience, also has no doubt on the matter. In 
a letter to me on this question he writes : 
" A peregrine strikes with its talons only. Of 
this I am certain, having seen the blow given to 
countless quarries at close quarters. How the 
other idea (that of striking with the wing) could 
possibly have originated I do not know. It is 
quite obviousty impracticable. ... If a pere- 
grine administered the terrific blow which she 
delivers when striking a quarry with her wing, 
breast, or beak, she would be knocked out at 
once, and permanently injured. A peregrine 
can easily, after recovering from her stoop, turn 
over again and catch the quarry in the air. I 
have seen this often done, when the bird had been 
struck high up in the air. If near the ground, 
it would fall before the hawk could get hold of it. 
Many also often catch and hold a quarry without 
knocking it down. This is the way most successful 
