Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-11-20
The Revival Of EalconrY.
lHsrper's Weeki-

be no better plan than that of reyiying soma
old sport familiar to our ancestors, but new to
the present generation. The latest caprice OF
the English Ia the way OF outdoor SPORTS is
falcoDry. The ancient custom of hunting blrds
by means OF the hawk and peregrine has been
revived by few ardent spirits, and the aver
age EngliShman, who sees In fine autumn
morning only an inviting opportunity to .sgo
out and Kill something" has now a compare
the correct amount OF slaughter. For some
time past faiconry has been growing 10 favor.
Birds are bred and trained for the work, and
clnns have u, been formed In London and else
regular meet days, the object being to foster
hawking, and give 1t as high place among ma
| tfonal sports as 1t had In the days of yore"
/ Faiconry is very Old sport In Europe ana
Asia. In the middle ages il was tue fayorite
sport OF princes and mobiles; and as ladies could
| engage In IL, 1t became very popular, particu-
iariy In france; In an old poem on forest
| by Curne de Sainte Palaye. in his work On
! chiyalTy. in a comparison OF hunting with fall
| conry, II is mentioned as particular advantage
| OF faiconry that queens, ducheSSeS and count
eSSeS are allowed by their husbands to carry the
| falcon on their wrists without offending pro.
priety, and that they can enjoy all the sports OF
| this kind of hunting, whilst In hunting with
| hounds they are only allowed TO follow BY the
| wide roads or over open fields In order to see
| the dogs pass. The knight was anxious to pay
his court to the ladies On such occasions by his
| attentions TO the falcons. He was Obliged to
be careful to fly the bird at the proper moment
TO follow her Immediately, never to lose sight
OF her. to encourage her by calls, to take the
prey from her, to caress her. to put On the hood
and to place her gracefully on the wrist Of hts
mistress.
In falconry two distinct kinds of hawks are
used-the long-winged or true falcons, and
shortwinged. The first mobile bird of prey are
represented chiefly by the gyrfalcon and
peregrine, the second by TIE goShawk and spar-
row-hawk; and though TO- certain purposes the
male is superior, as rule the females of each
species are much more highly esteemed for
sporting purposes, from their being larger and
more powerful The gyrfalcon is the largest
species, but from its extreme rarity In the
British Islands Is seldom used. The peregrine
falcon is the bird In greatest favor with falcon
ers, and II taken from the nest, as is usually the
case. and carefully trained, affords better sport
than any other British Species
The operation OF training falcon Is attended
with no little care and difficulty. The village of
Falconswaerd. near Bois-Ie- Due, In Holland has
for many years furnished falconers to the rest
OF Europe Il have known" writes Sir John
SeDright. many falcOnerS in England and In
the service OF different princes on the ConLi-
nent, bur | never met With one OF them who
was not native OF Falconswaerd." No hawk
Is fit for sporting purposes until 1t has under
gone careful training. The young hawk is
more easily trained than that which has
been caught in wild state but In either
case number OF operations require to be
gone through before the sportsman ventures
70 take his falcon into the field If the
olrl TO he trained instead OF being nest
ling, happens to be wild one. the difficulties OF
training are immeasurably Increased and can
only be overcome by days and nights Of an
Weary1Dg exertion. Taken from her nest on
some high and dangerous Cliff when nearly
hedged, the eateSs, or young falcon with her
companion ttedgelings, usually two In number
is carefully conveyed to the falcOner's home
There she Is kept In an open shed in nest Of
straw. and red several times ia upon fresh
Deef, With an occasional change i'll the way OF
birds or rabbits. Her powers OF flight being as
yet very limited. she depends upon her master
for regular supplies Of food, and soon learns TO
come Tor her meals at his CALL
one OF the first of the principal operations in
training Is ho0dtng, which, II successfully per-
payeS the way for overcoming many subsequent
difficulties. 1t demands the greatest patience
and the tenderest manipulation. The hood Is
cap or leather, made to fit the head OF the fall
con In such manner as totally to exclude the
light. single aperture is left In trout through
which the peak protrudes, and slit behind
that secure the hood to the head. BY shutting
out the light the hood is servtceable In tending
10 make the hawk quiet and tractable, but to
accustom the falcon to submit to its use re.
quires much time and great management
When, after great perseverance, this Is achieved
the hawk, is said TO be made to the hood"
anced upon the wrist. Besides tending to in
duce dOcility by hiding the light. the hood Is OF
further service in shutting out from view any
object which might cause the hawk to fiutter or
hal Off the wrist or cadge. on its way to and
from the field. Hence the hawk IS carried al
ways hooded, the short-winged only being eX-
empt.
TO the falcons legs are attached two small
hollow globes OF thin metal called betls. These
again, are fixed TO their place by leather straps
called belcts, and both, together with the
the birds flights. The JeSSeS are TWO leathern
straps, five or six inches In length, attached 10
each leg immediately below the bells To the
jesSeS, again, is attached by TWO rings or rai:-
refs, another leathern strap, called the leash,
about four times the size or a boot-lace The
bird being thus caparisoned, the faiconer winds
nc hnCr
the falcons escape While on his wrist. The lure
is bunch OF feathers attached TO {. cord and
tassel, and in the center OF the feathers Is
usually a piece OF wood to which q piece OF meat
may be fastened. By accuStomng the hawk TO
feed off the lure or TO come TO IL at a certain
call or whistle when on the wing. the lure De
comes an important adjunct TO the falcOners
apparatus, as by it he is enabled 10 entice his
bird back after an unsuccessful chase. On such
occasions the falcOner reclaims his bird by
swinging the baited lure round and round his
head accompanying the action by some Gus
tonary call.
In France, during the reign of the monarch
known as the Father OF Hunting, " Francis L.
The. establishments for training falcons were
under the direction OF grand falconer who
received an annual revenue of 1000 livre5 and
had under hun - noblemen and 50 falconer5.
He had the care OF more than 800 falcons ard
enjoyed the privilege Of hawking through the
whole kingdom at pleasure. He received fine
Ior every falcon Which was sold, and no
falcOner was allowed TO sell bird without mis-
permission. The whole establishment which
cost annually about 10000 ltvres, followed the
King, as did also his hunting establishment One
gentleman, who was distinguished for his skill In
hawking, was loaded with favors by the king, and
enabled 10 keep sixty horses Tor his faIconry
alone There was an old rivalry between the
TalcOnerS and the hunters. When the hunting
OF the stag began. and the falcons meWed the
hunters drove the falconerS from the yard
While IN winter. when the stays were no longer
worth hunting. The falcOuerS retaiiated on the
hunters, and locked up the hounds Falconry
continued In favor until the seventeenth cen
fury, but the invention OF firearms gradually
superseded it. In England faIcOnry was also in
great favor, and There is 10 this day a heredi-
LaTl Grand FaicOner. The Duke OF st. Adams
IN his ofIice OF Grand FalcO2er. presents the
sovereign with cast Of falcons on the day OF
his coronation. y similar service Is performed
oy the representative OF the Stanley family in
the Isle OF Man.
The heron IS and always has been a tavorIte
object or pursuit In British falconry. the period
OF the year best adapted for the sport being the
breeding season. Having previously aScertafned
the feeding place or that bird, the hawking
party makes for the spot. usually toward even
Ing, II possible In a direction down wind from
the heronry, SO as 10 intercept the bird in It's
up-wind flight homeward. When a heron is
seen TO pass, q couple ia cast) of hawks are
unhooded and least off," and the chase COM
menceS. The heron. seeing the falcons approach
dsgorges its food 10 tighten ITSELF and imme-
dlately ascenos In the air. The hawks, eager
In pursuit and quicker OF wing, speedily make
II E