214
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
whenever a small bird is flushed; but such "small fry" has no attraction for
"Lundy ;" he waits for the first whir-r-r-r of a partridge, and dashes after it in
hot pursuit, a kill frequently occurring before another field is reached. There is
an old adage, and a very true one generally, which says :—
" When the wind is high
Do not fly."
But a good breeze is the very condition of air under which my "Lundy" is seen
to advantage. His grand and dashing stoops from a great pitch in the bright
autumn sky, are, to my feelings, what the first rush of a salmon is to the fly-fisher.
Although the heaths in Norfolk afford a grand open country, there is one draw-
back in them—rabbit-holes ; not only is it dangerous to gallop across them, but
the earths afford a ready means of escape for the partridges, and I well remember
losing three birds in these subterranean passages in one day. In one instance a
warrener was close at hand, and from him we borrowed a ferret, but unfortunately
a bolt-hole hidden under the bracken escaped our notice, and by this hole the
partridge was driven out by the ferret, and the tiercel being on fist, the bird easily
escaped.
It had always been my ambition to kill a woodcock with a tiercel, an easy
matter in Scotland, I believe, on the hill sides, but in Norfolk (although we have
a good many "cock" in November), it is a more difficult feat, as it is rare to find
woodcock in the open. On October 20th, 1887, we were walking a piece of
turnip with the goshawk, when we flushed a woodcock, which at once flew to a
small osier-bed. The goshawk was put down and "Lundy" taken on hand. To
the north of the osier-car (as they are called in Norfolk), stretched a large extent
of sea-marsh, while to the south were the uplands, but too enclosed for a good
flight. Some of the party went round to flush the woodcock; "Lundy" was
unhooded, and after a fly round came up and waited on in good style. Soon a
well known voice shouts "mark cock," and ere the quarry had flown twenty yards,
"Lundy" had made his first stoop, but the woodcock dropped away from the
tiercel and put in the osier-car. Being again flushed, he would not face
the open, but sought shelter in a ditch, from which he was thrown out and killed
on the marsh. We all know the power of the water-hen to "flirt" its tail; this
habit was very plainly seen in the woodcock, which, when on the ground, extended
its tail feathers in the shape of a fan. This "kill" is admirably depicted in the
painting by my artist friend, Mr. Lodge, now exhibited. I could easily mention
other curious cases of "putting-in," but I am afraid of wearying you.
Lark-Hawking. — Lark-hawking has been described as Heron-hawking in
miniature, and judging from the accounts of heron-flights I have read, I should
say that it is a very correct description. I regret that I have no merlins this
season of the year to show you ; when October comes, the larks then being too
strong for them to take, I cut off their jesses, and either let them go, or give them
away to friends who may be desirous to retain them as pets. Unlike other hawks
a merlin is almost useless in the second season, as they then seem to lose their
power of "ringing," and cannot take a lark ; at least that is my experience with
eyesses. These hawks nest on the ground in the moors in the North, and are
allowed to remain "at hack" until they begin to kill for themselves, when they
are taken up and trained. They are one of our easiest long winged hawks to
train; in some instances, indeed, really becoming too tame. The "hood" is not
required for a merlin except in the first few days of training, and not even then
with many good tempered ones. Of course all hawks must be hooded when