Chapter I: Preface

Notwithstanding the large number of books, both ancient and modern, which have been written on the art of Hawking, it cannot be said that the English-speaking people generally have more than a very vague idea of the character of the sport, or the mode in which it was, and still is, conducted.

Yet, in an experience of Hawking which extends over more than thirty years, the author has found that a great and increasing curiosity, and even a real interest in the subject, prevails, especially amongst sporting men, who are in many notable instances beginning to believe that hawks and their owners have been unduly disparaged, and that there is more to be said in their favour than has for the last two centuries been imagined.

There has not been space in this volume to discuss the much-vexed question how far the use of hawks is compatible with the preservation of game. But it may be said here, without any reservation, that wherever experiments have been actually tried, Hawking has been found not to spoil but to improve the shooting.

The object of the author has been to describe as briefly as was consistent with clearness the birds now chiefly used in the chase, and the manner of training and flying them. His hope is that some of the sportsmen who read these pages may, in spite of the difficulties which they will have to encounter, resolve to give this old and honourable sport a trial.

The use of technical terms has been avoided as far as possible; and those which could not be excluded have been explained in the text. When the reader is puzzled by any word, a reference to the Index will direct him to the page where the meaning of it is given.

CONTENTS

PAGES
CHAPTER I

History and Literature

Antiquity of hawking in China--Introduction into Europe--Royal
and Imperial falconers--Decline of the sport--Survival and
revivals--Modern falconers--Early writers--Leading
authorities--Modern books 1-8

CHAPTER II

The Birds Used in Hawking

Three classes--Long-winged hawks: Ger-peregrine, and kindred
varieties, shaheens, barbary, saker, lanner, and desert
falcons, hobby, merlin, and kestrel--Short-winged hawks:
goshawks and sparrow-hawks--Eagles, golden, Bonelli's,
etc., falconets 9-39

CHAPTER III

Furniture and Fittings

Jesses--Bells--Swivels--Leashes--The screen-perch--Blocks--
Bow-perches--Hoods--Brails--The bath--The lure--Cadges--
Gloves--Mews 40-54

CHAPTER IV

Eyesses and Hack Hawks

Taking from the eyrie--Feeding--Turning out to hack--The
board system--Hacking to the lure, and to the hand--Learning
to fly--Dangers and diversions of hack--Taking up--The bow-net 55-69

CHAPTER V

Passage Hawks

Valk enswaard--Hawk-catcher's hut--The shrike sentinel--
Handling the wild-caught hawk--The sock--The dark cell--Prison
fare--Early discipline--Waking--Hooding--Carrying--Manning--
Pegging out 70-86

CHAPTER VI

Training and Entering

Reclamation of wild-caught and hack hawks--Making to the lure--
Calling off--The first quarry--Innocent deceptions--Making in--
Waiting on--Stooping to the lure--Exercise 87-100

CHAPTER VII

Rook-Hawking

Good and bad country--Entering to rooks--Throwing off--
Ringing flights--Shifting--Throwing up--Putting in--Riding
to hawks 101-114

CHAPTER VIII

Game-Hawking

Eyesses and passagers--Teaching to mount and to wait on--
Entering--Raking away--The pitch--The stoop--Pointers--
Speed and cunning of grouse--Partridges, black-game--Some
good bags 115-129

CHAPTER IX

Lark-Hawking

The hobby, ancient and modern--Daring larks--The merlin--
Difficulties of training and flying--Making in--Fishing-rod
trick--Good and bad larks--High flights--Double flights--
Winter larks 130-141

CHAPTER X

Gulls, Heron, Kite, Duck, etc.

Double flights at gulls--The Loo Club--Kite-hawking--Wild
ducks, magpies, plovers, woodcock, snipe, and other quarry 142-149

CHAPTER XI

The Goshawk

Hawks of the fist--Training--Rewards for good conduct--Yarak--
Pheasants, partridges, rabbits, and hares--The goshawk in
covert--Variety of quarry--Some good bags--A famous goshawk 150-159

CHAPTER XII

The Sparrow-Hawk

Vices and merits--A fine hawk for the bush--Partridge-hawking--
Blackbirds, quail, and other quarry--How to manage a
sparrow-hawk--A modern record 160-169

CHAPTER XIII

Home Life

The falconer's establishment--Good and bad falconers--
Hawk-houses--The falconer's day--Bathing--Weathering--
Exercise--Diet--Castings--Tirings--Rangle--Bedtime 170-191

CHAPTER XIV

Hawks in the Field

Hooding up--Accoutrements--Field tactics--Markers--Mounted
men--Successful and unsuccessful flights--Putting in--Picking
up--Consolation quarry--Disobedient hawks--A good quarry-book 192-212

CHAPTER XV

Lost Hawks

Carelessness and imprudence--A kill out of sight--A night
out--Search and recapture--Chance witnesses--Decoy hawks--
Winding up--Snaring--A fresh start 213-224

CHAPTER XVI

Accidents and Maladies

Broken feathers--Imping--Broken bones--Diagnosis--Croaks,
cramp, ague, apoplexy, frounce, inflammation, and fever--
Corns, broken talons, blain, craye, and other maladies 225-243

CHAPTER XVII

Moulting

Early and late moulting--Flying through the moult--Throwing
into the mews--Diet and management--Bad moulters--Intermewed
hawks--Physic and treatment 244-254

CHAPTER XVIII

Virtue and Vice

Good and bad hawks--Temper, shape, size, and colour--Style
of flying--Carrying--Soaring--Raking away--Checking--
Perching--Hood-shyness--Screaming--Refusing--Running
cunning--Seven deadly sins--Four cardinal virtues 255-274