New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-14
REUTCED INTEREST IN FILCONRf
EMPEROR WILLIAM SEEKING TO RE-tSI Ahi'l'i'
THE SPORT IL GERMANN-rrS
EXTREME ANTIQUITY.

EXTREME ANTIQUITY.
Tho tme-honored sport Of falconry' once 80
famous among European nations. mas almost en-
tirelv died out. In England II has never oeen al
lowed 20 become absolutely dead, ana the hi"Ni"b
club holds regular meets At which the picturesque
,,s.in,e OF falconry Is represented An attempt Is
being made by The Emperor of Germany To 'r'.''
tho ancient snort among me arlSt''Fig ~ Ms
court, The young monarch has added to hs mp ''a'
establishment an extensive collection OF falcons
and purp,scs - reinsa,e the gentle art IN us
CORNER rr,ui position The pastime can boast oil
=, extremely ancient origin. Sir Henry layari' t"'
archaool1g.st In the course OF MS eN'aViu'lS Il.
Lhorsabad unearthci hass-relief when d'pic,c'
m ASsyrian falcoucr carrying a hawk upon ms
urls, Tho date ascribcd the tablet Is 300 H. -
g., that the sport Is a. least 3"o years od. Inc
,,y-l &c a familiar figure among the Assyrlan IN
--,,,lons while Nisroch. of their gods. Is al
wavs represented being the head Of hawk
~. snort probably reached It's zenith in tho fonr-
,eep,h and nf.en centuries when every man Knew
h,,,. =, herd a hawk or lure falcon 1t occupied
,,-,,,,,on, p,,cc among all tho nations Of Europe
h,,, .s,..l,l,v of Euglaul dui Germany. Up To inc
nog,rnin. Of tn sixteenth century the court o' ID
,,li- was complete without the news ana tAl'oh'rS
h,i.nrlu- T. his rc'iuuc. tn" inlcnluc'h'Iy al
-,..t ..,,,,lrtic Of tn hawking party has been a
,-,,rrul theme f.r both the poet AMI p'liHer'
si,Lcsue,re's plays turn with illusions 20 me
,io.ur,eIuc sport. AMI his mastery "t the "'hl''ii
inns use, iu d,.rulting The different Items OF a
fa,-oucr's lu'y shpN him 20 have been W'fousny
,,ou.lu,eI with ia. details x fac'uty.
surprising number o.; different ana specific
names have ben applied 80 te mnu'iac ~ the APP
,sr,,is. ana oven the anatomy ~ the bird itself.
d, f,t.,,rry Everything has special name. ana
hardly nnvtAuc IS called ~ the term which woHli
ordinarily De applied t. d. Even th" tan OF ne
falcon has d hawking term hy which II Is known
/, ls not called tt but the train while Every
,ir t,-, hi4 its own peculiar name glossary
%, hawking terms looks Ike IN" translation Of As
| s,r!,n cluciform characters "r Egyptian h''r"
| r,yphcs History fiction and poetry have maze
ner..1s moro " less familiar with the description
| Of the picturesque chas"
A,,er the g.yIy plun.d knights and gorgeousy
a,t!rci Indies have ridden out into me Open IN,
r,Irouers follow. boring the long square Of WOOD
an which the closely hooded falcons sit waiting 10
he se, fire.. as soon as the quarry 4 sighted when
| tho huuilng-srounl Is reached the biriS are trans
f.rr.I 10 The wrists Of TIE fIlconers. or IN many
| cases - thos. OF the owners. The hands are
Guarded hv thick gloves TO prevent injury from he
| charm ,,lous or the falcon. The bird Is secured 10
tho wrist by iesses made Of strips of leather fas-
toned 70 IT'S logs A. the game "a sighted the je@'eS
ar. unfas,encd the hood IS removed. ana the quick
| ey.d bird soon sces th- quarry. On" swift sweep
| then a lghtuluClike stoop. ana the ld!coH Has
| struck ia prey To- the ground
| V,h.n the quarry was a heron or some other
| stronc-Nyiue. swift bird long chase was usually
| run before The falcon made a successful Stoop.
The heron always cndeavors u keep ABOVE us I'''
| and Thus 70 avoid the deadly swoop OF the falcon.
| A. they Nv crcling above tn" other. until they
arc lost i'm IN. clouds the cavalcadc sweeps onward
| behind the pursued and pursuer. Enthusiasm WAKES
| higher as the falcon. tho heron, Is on top
| Tb, owners encourage their birds 10y strange
| cries which nevertheless have s'ul-insplrlng ring
| ,.htcb naddcns with excitement the hearers.
"Yo-hup yo-hup. yo-hup" and "Hi-awAy' nj
| av.v hi-away" are among the many cries heard
Hoo ha -ha Ia hoo-hah -hd IS another expression
considered 10 possess peculiar efficacy lh'y "a
sound like parts Of = college cheer. but when ny
tered by the lips Of some beautiful pinI th'y P'o'
| ably possessed considerable charm
! The falcon makes his stoop when he ~ last sur
| mounts tho gallan; heron. and both come huStIlhg
| ,o the ground. by flashing the lure before INC
falcons eyes the bird Is soon replaced on wrist anu
tho tesses again coniiue it, legs unti another quarry
| t. ecbtcd The lure is made Of a few fresh wings
Tied together AT which the hawk can bite without
| dining any damage. There IS great difference Dc
| ,v..n II hawk aud a falcon. The former II inc
! short winged hawk and the latter the Io"s-
winged hawk. Falcons are the nobl'r briS' ana
are used for hcrOr% and powerful BIRDS whhh "o''!
be too swift for the hawk. Hawks are also 'a''e'
hawks "of the fist" and falcons hawks "oi me
| line"
The majority OF the hawks were bred from
n.stl,nrs and trained hunt prey under conliiiah
! nv far the best birds were those which were capt
| ured when fun grown and atterWafd ""'", ''
s,rnnrer and swiftcr than the BIRDS reared III Cir-
| tIvity A good parallel may be FOUND III t"e u''''
enc. between the lion of the desert ana the non Oh
! c.utr,l Park The man who could train pas
| sage hawk To XIII and yet be under coh'ro' was
! tl,ou,ht much more OF 800 years ago IMAM inc man
ybo could speak Ave or six languages ana was IuI'
>, IA. brirn with learning Even to-day urS'-SlaSS
falcnncr earn handsome income ~ tssoJ in
! Their. arc many kinds OF haWht' al us, rt, 80
hunting They rang. In siZ" from thr MY ~
,,..,I larks and small BIRDS 10 th' PlVV'i -
falcon capable OF striking TO eAtth u
! b.r,n ar Some instantaneous PHp''tl tp'''
| have been taken u hawk In The act Oh SUI ~
| ia nrcy The photograph shows that me haWk IN
! lie lightning stoop strikes It, hlnd 'l'"o :, 80,
victim and p,oughs through IN" frat h'IS n',
Tho force Of the blow generally tunbIeS thT ui'o'
| innate quarry stone dead 10 the Eiou''r, w o.
/ som. hawks. however, SELF" their pr III 81" -"
| or bind" az IL is technically ttfIh'I. , T.,
| Tho velocity Of a hawks Stoop u ',.f - ~
flies downward for few strokes am ''o'
| ~ wings swoops on its victim win NrIocltS
| three or -four times great "a the NV. hi,, ~
gravity would give IT, hawk VIII oilIi nioch ' !,
| head off partridge in ltS stoop 10 ''"' 90 u ~
! were with knife , ,.,,,. 1,,o ., tho
| The decay OF this sport Is princlPhnS Nv bu5as
gradual closing In of land by fences anu n.y. =,
/ For hawking clear sweep of lenV'ii, h,',,
| ahsoluteIy necessary and the diHlcu,,S OF IMAM
inc this has helped the pastime 10 IAN mo u'suse'
, The era OF firearms has. moreover ihait Oil
naratively easy the task of killing WINGED game
| which was much more dlncult scll,,t a.oin "no'
The sentiment to-day would hardy 10Y, az ny
| Introduction of the sport Many "ouiu Hi" IL eS-
sentially cruel -, po,.i Nows" MA q
! RECENTLY abolished In England 1here WAS S'ou