The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-26

chances in the air. Under such circumstance
one OF their number is doomed. A miss by q
blue darter when II has a fair showing is not
common. The bevy IL then In the utmost
terror and breaks all to pieces. probably to re-
main separated all that day. When the birds
are hiding In good cover and the pirate far
overhead distinguishes their brown little
bodies pressed fat against the earth. while the
grass or brlers form q shield over their backs.
it then becomes a duel OF patience. The
darter will sail round and round. swooping
now and then In the endeavor to brighten them
out Of their refuge. for two or even three hours.
This Is a long time for a quail to remain aui-
escent, and frequently. its nerves overstrained.
It will endeavor to reach the woods. growing
possibly not more than fifty yards away. Cen
orally it's efforts will prove fatal. The darter
may have dined shortly before. but it will
make its second capture with az much eager
ness and ~voracity as it made its FIRST.
Even after It is gorged this hawk will con-
tinue the pursuit. 1t seems often to kill ouails
for the mere pleasure OF killing. being actu-
ated apparently by a desire to exterminate the
particular bevy that is engaging its attention.
1t Is a common thing for hunters to find the
bodies OF quails slain by some gorged darter
and left to rot where they fell. The manner OF
the death may be always by the
talon marks. which are unmistakable. Often
the darter. after selling it's prey. will tear
of the head with it's beak. 1t is this
desire for continuous slaughter that makes
II valuable as a falcon. 1t Is 1nsley's
habit to feed his birds literally before taking
them into the field. He says that It does not
make them any the less eager. and they are
more apt to drop the quail after 1t has been
struck and return to hand. He will. however.
permit either OF his birds to taste the game IL
It shows any disposition to do so. When once
the massive beak Is driven into q quail. the
quarry is unfit for any table purpose. but auails
are so plentiful here. and it is so easy to obtain
a bag Of them at any time In season. that the
loss OF one or more is Of no moment.
Both Of Insley's birds are males. They are
now In their third year and fully grown. He
keeps them on two stumps in the middle OF a
grass lot next to hie house. They are fastened
to the stumps BY slender steel chains hooked
TO q silver ring which goes around the leg just
above the foot. Near the stumps runs a little
creek. or branch. az It is called here. and the
chains are long enough to allow the birds to
descend and drink when they are 80 disposed.
They are never hooded except when taken into
the field. nor is any bell attached to them.
Insley says that the bell was a refinement Of
falconry for which there was never any
use or excuse. The birds are named
prosaically Jack and Bill. Their owner has
threatened to change the names to Dewey
and Schley. but has not done SO. He Is Of opin-
ion that neither OF the naval commanders has
done quite enough to warrant him calling his
pets after them. Insley has no children. but
il he had It is probable that they would occupy
second place in his affections. He loves the
hawks because they represent to him the first
and only fruits OF years OF effort. They are
beautiful specimens OF their kind. every
feather as glossy as II kept specially preened.
and they have been always In perfect health.
Their food is quail flesh. when it is In season.
When not. they are fed or the meat OF any OF
the thousands Of small birds which are in the
woods and fields OF Arkansas all the year round.
The hawks are hunted only from October to
March. as their owner. with one exception. has
never been able to induce them to fly at
anything except quails. and it is only
In those months that the taking Of quails
BY any means is legal. He has fiown them at
rabbits. snipe. plover and teal. but neither
Jack nor Bill has manifested any interest in
those creatures. They like quails by heredity.
and will not seek to capture anything else.
Last July Bill. as an experiment. was flown at
a dove. which it pursued lercely. The dove
escaped. owing to the Intervention Of friendly
trees. Insley was called North Immediately
afterward. and he had no opportunity to try
them further at doves. which are the swiftest
ID american tree Dlrub IN continued night, but
this coming summer he Intends to try them
out thoroughly. He expects much sport. and
it Is likely that he will find 1t. 1t has long been
known that the blue darter pursues the dove.
Indeed. during the hot months. when there are
few 0uails obtainable. they live almost wholly
on doves.
1nsley says he finds that his birds sufrerfrom
slightly defective memories. That Is. they
have to be ~re-taught to some extent at the be-
ginning of each season. Until they have he
come broken in again they are harder TO
handle. less successful and show moro reluc-
lance to return to the wrist or to allow them
selves to be captured. In training these birds
he has brought to bear tho experience gained
from previous failures. He says now that he
can train any hawk to come to wrist and to
remain with him until 1t dies. though he can
not force it to pursue game. He begins hy
Keeping the bird In n hungry condition. 1t
learns that his presence and handling mean
food. When this has become impressed upon
1t he ties a piece OF quail flesh 10 a stHng.
allows the bird to scent it. and then drags it
along the ground. The hawk. being hungry.
follows, and is finally allowed to seize it. The
next step is to whirl the bit OF flesh
around his head. and in a little while
the bird learns that II it wants 1t It must fly for
it. From this. inducing it to fly at game is but
n step. The bird which has been kept since OK
IRENE youth knows nothing really OF freed ON,
and looks upon its owner as its legitimate
friend and associate. lnsley has never at
tempted to tame and teach n full-grown wild
hawk. and does not believe that 1t can be done
with any OF the varieties common to this re-
gion. Both OF his blue darters are extremely
high-tempered and COM ative. They have
struck him often. but he has never chastised
them. He has simply wrapped up his bleeding
finger with tine philosophical remark that it ia
hawk nature and can't be helped. At this sea-
son OF the year their amatory instincts are
awake and they must be kept far apart or thew
would kill each other. They do not In the field
show any enmity. nor have they ever attempted
to find and follow a female OF their kind. All
oftheir faculties seem TO be absorbed in the
desire to STAY.
In March are Insley's best falconing days.
1t Is Just before the pairing season and the
quailS are stronger and wilder than at any
time. They are swiiter. too. and the capture
OF one OF them is always a moot question until
the talons have sunk home. As to the relative