FOREST AND STREAM 
[July 17 , 
The Eagle in Falconry. 
Brooklyn, N. Y., July 10 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: A number of years ago you printed 
an account of the use of eagles in captuiing 
deer or antelope in the far East. My recollec¬ 
tion is that this was spoken of as a practice of 
the past, just as falconry in Europe was a prac¬ 
tice of centuries ago, hut now, if done at all, 
is the very rarest exception. Is anything known 
of the use of eagles in hawking to-day? The 
matter is one of some interest to me. 
Inquirer. 
[Eagles are still used in hawking in the far 
East, notably in Turkestan and in China. A 
recent reference may be found in Major C. S. 
Cumberland’s “Sport on the Pamirs and Tur¬ 
kestan Steppes.” As the author was traveling 
from Yarkand to Asku, 
he says: “We came 
upon a party of natives 
mounted on ponies, some 
of them having big 
brown eagles on their 
wrists, hooded and j essed 
like the ordinary falcon. 
They told me they were 
going to hunt the jeran 
antelope. I should have 
much liked to join them, 
but having a twenty mile 
march before me, could 
not spare the time.” 
Later he speaks of one 
of his shikaris having a 
trained eagle with him 
and tells of how at last 
he had an opportunity to 
see the flight of the 
eagle. 
“For the twenty-four 
miles of jungle through 
which we tramped my 
shikari kept his eagle on 
his wrist, but it was not 
until we got to our 
camping ground, when 
he went off by himself 
to have a last look 
around, that he had any 
success, returning with a 
doe jeran. I was anx¬ 
ious to see the eagle work, and as I could see 
nothing of a stag, went off with the Yul- 
beggie in the afternoon to try for another jeran. 
I was mooning along thinking of something else, 
when all of a sudden the Yulbeggie started off 
as hard as he could gallop across the maidan. 
I followed suit, and soon made out a doe jeran 
in the distance. It stood and looked at us in 
amazement, and then cantered off not very fast, 
while we still continued our headlong career, 
every now and then floundering on to our noses 
over a tussock of grass or into a hole hidden by 
the snow, until we got to about 100 yards from 
our game, which only then realized the situation 
and extended its stride. The shikari now hurled 
the eagle which he had unhooked and held 
clasped to his breast during the run at the jeran. 
The eagle, instead of rising like a falcon and 
sweeping on its prey, flapped along with its great 
wings quite close to the ground, and although 
it seemed to fly very slowly, gradually caught 
up to the jeran which was impeded in its course 
by the high grass, and at last grabbed it by the 
rump with its strong talons. It regularly drag¬ 
ged the deer down, and held on for some time, 
the little gazelle kicking out like mad. We still 
galloped on, and I wondered what the finish 
would be. The shikari, when he got up to them, 
without drawing rein, threw himself off his pony 
and grabbed the deer by the hind legs, just as 
it had kicked itself free, and pulling out his 
knife, cut its throat. It was a most exciting 
chase and I enjoyed the gallop immensely. Bob 
evidently did the same, seeming thoroughly to 
enter into the sport. On another occasion the 
eagle, after it was thrown, did not see its quarry, 
and after a vague flight lit on the ground and 
began to scream, and the next time, when it 
was more successful we were too long in com¬ 
ing up, and the deer had shaken it off, going on 
The chief enemies appear to be the range hog?, 
that are always hunting out the nests, then come 
foxes, minks, timber rats, weasels, and one of 
the greatest rogues of all, the blacksnake. Yes¬ 
terday I killed one and found that he had been 
gorging himself on quail eggs. 
Two nests this season have caused me much j 
anxiety owing to their somewhat odd situations 
One was about six inches from a well-traveled 
road. If a vehicle had been forced to turn 0 ui 
of its course to allow another to pass it seemed 
certain that annihilation must follow. My atten 
tion was first called to the nest when I wai 
going to my horse that was tied near her. I 
saw her flush and investigated to find the nes' 
in the place described. She had fifteen eggs am 
—perhaps owing to the very wet season—hai 
roofed her nest with japan clover, with a pitcl 
sufficient to turn water. 
On my next visit, , 
week later, I found he 
still on duty with twent 
eggs under her. I stii 
have doubts about th 
success of her ventun 
though the male, wli 
was on the nest at noo 
yesterday, appears cor 
vinced that everything 1 
in proper order and i 
perfectly contented wit 
his present duties. He 
much more docile tha 
the hen, and will perm 
me' to approach bin 
closely without takin 
flight; something the he 
is very much averse to. 
I found another ne 
recently under somewh; 
similar conditions of dai 
ger, though the hatchir 
was made safely, ar 
nineteen little quail ha' 
come into the world, 
are already bug-hun 
in a millet field. In oi 
rough country, two hors 
are used with all vehicle 
EAGLE PULLING DOWN ITS QUARRY. 
seemingly none the worse, while the eagle, which 
was now on the ground, remained there scream¬ 
ing like a fool, without attempting to get on the 
wing again to follow up its game.”—E ditor.] 
Quail Habits. 
Doniphan, Mo., July 6.— Editor Forest and 
Stream: In a country where quail are very 
abundant, to watch them during the nesting season 
is always interesting. Every bird seems to select 
a different kind of place for her nest. Where 
corn is the main crop and intense cultivation is 
practiced, quail most frequently seek the open 
timber ranges to carry out their natural duties. 
To one well informed about the enemies of 
quail it would appear a useless task for a female 
quail to attempt to rear a brood under such con¬ 
ditions, but . notwithstanding that everything 
seems against her I am satisfied that three or four 
hundred coveys of quail are brought to maturity 
each year in every township of our county. 
and unless a road is ve 
heavily traveled the mi 
die of the road to a wid 
of seven to twelve inches has a slight grow 
of oak, hickory or other timber sprouts whi 
never gets over two feet high—about the heig 
of the wagon pole. One day I found that 
peculiarly fastidious quail had selected this lig 
cover for her nest, a rather dangerous-looki 
place, where a shying horse could have turn 
her labor into an omelet. This one I watch 
carefully, and on a certain day found the em[ 
shells, broken by the advent of the young if 
the world. 
Truly the quail of the Middle States offer! 
opportunity for study. They have alw< 
been the most plentiful of resident upland ga 
birds, but I have never seen a book that < 
scribed their habits in full. When the subj 
is touched on, the writer, either from ignorai 
or lack of interest, has failed to write much 
our most popular game bird. The majority 
sportsmen see this bird only during the hunt 
season and do not live with him day after & 
and year after year. Loch Laddie 
of 
