. Reptiles and birds : a popular account of their various orders, with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting . , which are readily procured, and alsoprovide partridges and quails for their kitchens. The most noble cast^ but also the rarest, was that at the have already mentioned, when speaking of nocturnal birds ofprey, how at one time they were in the habit of alluring this bird bymeans of a great (long-eared) owl, dressed out with a foxs brushSome stratagem of this kind was obliged to be used in order to getnear the kite, which flies at heights altogether in
. Reptiles and birds : a popular account of their various orders, with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting . , which are readily procured, and alsoprovide partridges and quails for their kitchens. The most noble cast^ but also the rarest, was that at the have already mentioned, when speaking of nocturnal birds ofprey, how at one time they were in the habit of alluring this bird bymeans of a great (long-eared) owl, dressed out with a foxs brushSome stratagem of this kind was obliged to be used in order to getnear the kite, which flies at heights altogether inaccessible to thebest fiilcon. When the kite came within range a falcon was let fly,and then a most interesting conflict took place between the twobirds. The kite, harassed by its en em), and, in spite of its turnsand twists and numberless feints, unable to escape him, generally inthe end fell into the clutches of its foe. The cast at a heron generally presented fewer incidents. This 586 REPTILES AND BIRDS. bird, from not being gifted with the same powers of wing, wasunavoidably overtaken with much greater ease, although, when not. Fig. 274.—Heron Hawking. overloaded with food, it occasionally managed to escape. Still italways defended itself with energy, and the blows of its formidablebill were often fatal to its pursuer. In heron hawking (Fig. 274) HAWKING. 587 a dog was required to flush the game, and three falcons to captureit: the duty of the first was to make the quarry rise, of the secondto follow it, and of the third to clutch it. We shall quote from anancient author of a Treatise on Falconry the account of a cast ata heron ; the description will well explain the details of this kindof sport. Now riding fast, we soon came by the side of the meadowsadjoining the warren, where the markers of M. de Ligne dis-covered three herons, and at once came to tell him of it. Makingup his mind to attack them, the Sieur de Ligne did me the favourof giving me a white gyrfalcon, named
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectreptiles, bookyear1
