THE LIVING WORLD. 
423 
FALCONRY. 
The Bengal Falcon (. Falco ccernlescens ) is only a few inches long, but is 
most expert when trained to hunt the quail. Like all of its family it 
darts swiftly and directly at its quarry, and losing no time, strikes a second 
bird as soon as the first one has been disposed of. The Chicken Hawk, or 
Goshawk ( Astur palumbarius) , is trained to hunt hares, and being less fleet, is 
compelled to first stalk and then pounce upon them. The male is much 
weaker than the female. The training of the falcon was a long-continued and 
arduous labor and 
deserves mention 
in order to lend 
emphasis to the 
expensiveness of 
the pleasures of 
royalty and the 
nobility, who had 
to satisfy their 
profligate desires 
by some means of 
taxing subject and 
tenant. First the 
falcon was taught 
to perch without 
flapping its wings, 
lest when it be¬ 
came a hunter it 
should frighten 
the quarry. This 
lesson, was repeat¬ 
edly -inculcated by 
tying the wings, 
putting a leather 
band on the legs, 
and forcing it to 
occupy the perch 
as represented in 
the illustration. 
Then the perch, 
as will be seen, 
was made to cor¬ 
respond in gen¬ 
eral form to the 
human hand and 
wrist upon which 
the falcon was finally to perch. At times, as in the illustration, two falcons were put 
into training, so that when their education was finished they should be prepared to 
hunt in company. After the falcon had learned to perch properly it reviewed the 
lesson with the substitution of the human wrist for the wooden perch, the falconer 
protecting himself by a thick leather glove worn on the left hand and wrist, and 
