Falconry - The Peregrine, Eyesses, Hacking Hawks, Training, Game Hawking, Records Of Sport And Magpie Hawking

Gerald Lascelles

Description

This antiquarian book constitutes one volume of a detailed and useful guide to falconry, and includes information on the peregrine, eyesses, ''hacking'' hawks, training, game hawking, records of sport, and magpie hawking. This fascinating and extensively illustrated text will be of considerable utility to modern falconry enthusiasts, and would make for a wonderful addition to collections of related literature. Many antiquarian books such as this are becoming increasingly hard-to-come-by and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this book now in an affordable, modern edition. It comes complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on falconry.

Sujets

• Sports
• Recreation
• Hunting

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 29 mars 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781446548745
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

FALCONRY
THE PEREGRINE, EYESSES, HACKING HAWKS, TRAINING, GAME HAWKING, RECORDS OF SPORT AND MAGPIE HAWKING
BY
GERALD LASCELLES
CONTENTS
FALCONRY
THE PEREGRINE-EYESSES-HACKING HAWKS - TRAINING GAME HAWKING-RECORDS OF SPORT-MAGPIE HAWKING
The peregrine falcon breeds in most parts of the United Kingdom where a suitable situation can be found for its eyrie and where it is allowed to remain unmolested. Wild sea-cliffs or lofty scaurs on inland hills are the most common situations ; but the sea-cliffs are generally preferred because of the abundant food which is provided, both for the parent birds and the young, by the dense flocks of sea-birds and rock-pigeons which have also resorted to the same range of cliffs for breeding purposes. The chalk cliffs of the South Coast; rocky islands, such as Lundy or Handa ; the headlands on the Welsh coast; the north and west of Ireland ; and almost the whole of the coast of Scotland, are dotted with the breeding-places of the peregrine. Only one nest is found within a considerable circle, for the pair which have taken possession of an established eyrie will brook no intruder on their hunting-grounds. Taking the young from the nest is an operation attended with considerable .difficulty and danger, and, if possible, experienced cliff-men, who are in the habit of descending the cliffs by means of ropes in order to take sea-birds eggs or to gather samphire, should be employed. It is absolutely essential that the right moment should be selected for taking the young birds, and that moment arrives when the birds are nearly fledged, but have not yet left the nest. If taken too young the nestlings are very difficult to rear; are very liable to be taken with cramp, which is incurable, and, even if they survive, are almost certain to contract the vile habit of incessant screaming, and to be hot, bad-tempered birds. The nest should be carefully watched with a glass from some coign of vantage until all the down which at first clothes the nestlings is seen to be replaced by brown feathers, and, when this is the case, the birds may be taken.

PEREGRINE ON BLOCK - ADULT FLUMAGE

A peregrine s eyrie
This should be done, if possible, towards evening. They should be placed upon long straw (not upon hay), in a hamper well lined with canvas, and sent off at once to the falconer, so that they may accomplish as much of their journey as possible during the night. No food should be placed in the hamper unless the journey is likely to be a very long one, and great care must be taken that no hay, grass, or woollen material be placed at the bottom of the hamper, or else the young birds will very probably pick up and swallow pieces thereof. Many a young hawk has been destroyed in this way. Young hawks well taken and well sent off are worth about I l . to I l . IO S . each. Those taken too young are literally not worth one shilling. Unless the falconer can thoroughly rely upon the cliff-men who are to take the nest for him, it is well worth his while to go himself or to send a man to see the nest taken. Not unfrequently there is some competition as to which man or set of men shall secure the nest, and in such cases birds are often taken young, and kept, generally in a bad place and on bad food, until they are fledged, and then sent to the falconer as freshly taken birds. Such nestlings as these are the most worthless of all; their weakly nature, tame disposition, and screaming will betray them at once, and the best and cheapest plan is to send them straight back again to wherever they came from, if, as should always be the case, proper directions have been sent for taking them, and a stipulation made that they are carried out. As soon as they are received, they should be taken from the hamper and placed in a roughly-made nest on the floor of a large loft, or even a shed or coach-house, in the vicinity of which they are intended to fly at hack; jesses and a couple of large bells should be put upon them at once, and, after that, the less they see of any human presence the better. The object of flying at hack is to get the young hawks wild and powerful on the wing. All training should be left until this part of their rearing is past and done with; the wilder they get the better, so long as they feed regularly.