PREFACE.

IT was first intended by the author of
the following pages to offer to the public
only a few observations upon FALCONRY
through the medium of some of our sport-
ing journals; but the earnest solicitations
of a few friends, anxious to have this noble
pastime revived in this country, and wish-
ful to obtain all the necessary information
belonging to the art, induced him to alter
his plan to the present form.

A 2

IV.

The first object of his pen was to lay
before the reader a brief inquiry into the
nature or merits of falconry, to examine
into the cause of its decline in this country,
and to ascertain how far it is fit or unfit,
as a pastime, for the people of the present
day. Since changing his purpose, his wish
has been to present, in addition, a few no-
tices of what appeared most interesting in
the history of falconry—to give a slight
outline of the character and habits of the
different hawks principally used in Bri-
tish hawking, with the proper instructions
for keeping, training, and flying the birds;
also a glossary of the most useful terms
employed in the art.

In addition to the above reasons, the
author had other incentives to undertake
this task, viz.:—Perceiving the intrinsic
merits of falconry to be now generally mis-
understood in this country, and that not
more amongst the readers than amongst

V.

most writers on the subject—a desire to,
at least, rescue it from oblivion, and to
preserve the essentials of the art from
being utterly lost—and, lastly, finding
what is to be met with concerning it,
invariably treated of along with matter
entirely foreign to it (Sir John Sebright's
pamphlet excepted), and in no very com-
modious form for perusal.

Although, in compiling a work of this
kind, it was necessary that the author
should collect matter from most writings
extant upon the subject, which in the
present instance has been done, yet he
begs it to be observed, that the contents
of this volume are offered to the atten-
tion of the public rather from a practical
knowledge of falconry than from one
formed merely from the unintelligible
gleanings or absurd theories of ancient
or modern works. To Sir John Sebright's
"Observations upon Hawking," and to Mr.

VI.

Blaine's "Encyclopædia of Rural Sports," two of the best modern works upon the subject, he, however, most respectfully acknowledges himself not a little indebted for services he has occasionally derived from them. Indeed, except for two or three particulars, the merits of these productions might have superseded the use of this treatise; but the former being by far too much abridged, and now scarcely to be found in print, and the latter not being to be obtained without purchasing matter upon other subjects along with it, consequently at an unnecessarily high price, might be considered grounds sufficient, independent of any other, for a publication of this kind.

As this, like most other works, is not expected to be perused by the more enlightened readers only, and as strange notions are not unpopularly entertained respecting the use or moral propriety of