THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
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travelling ; and the questions sometimes put to us when on a journey are amusing.
The common idea appears to be that the cloth part of the hood is the eye of the
hawk, and the plume the crest. Some call the hoods "bonnets," and others insist
that "they be parrots, Bill, with caps on, a'going to the fair."
The merlin is carried on the fist in a similar manner to the falcon in rook-
hawking ; that is, the Falconer and Master both carry a merlin on the fist, hold-
ing it by its jesses, which for these hawks should be of the lightest leather. When
a lark is flushed, both hawks are cast off, and at times I have heard the lark com-
mence to sing, as if in defiance. At all times he faces the breeze, and seems to
throw himself at the wind, at an angle, like that assumed by a boy's kite when the
effort is made to put it up. It is marvellous to watch the rapid manner in which
a lark mounts higher and higher into the air, while the merlins are ringing in wide
circles in opposite directions to each other, but still winding their way steadily
upward round the well-nigh perpendicular line of flight of their quarry. When
there is every chance of a good ringing flight, it is better for the spectator to lie
flat on his back, as constantly turning round, looking upwards at the same time, is
apt to make one giddy, especially on a warm August day. Should there be only
a light breeze, the "put-in," or kill, will be some distance from the spot where
the slip took place, but if the day be calm, the whole course in the air may be
watched without moving. I well remember a flight of this description in Norfolk.
The day was calm, and a few fleecy clouds only slowly drifted across a lovely
September sky. A cast of female merlins were slipped at a strong lark, which at
once commenced to mount; the merlins throwing themselves wide of their quarry,
made every effort to get above the lark ; higher and higher went the trio, until at
last in mid air they vanished from the ken of the keenest of the party. In a few
minutes two spots, some two hundred yards away, were seen coming to earth, one
being considerably larger than the other. This proved to be the best merlin, bound
to the lark ; but the second hawk soon claimed a share of the quarry. After
rewarding them, and allowing a rest, we had another good flight, but not nearly
so high as the first.
Under date, August 22nd, 1885, I find the following in my notebook:—
"Rain giving way about 11 am., we had a capital day's lark-hawking near
Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire, with a cast of 'Jacks' (male merlins)—and a
cast of female merlins. A party of five flew 'Favourite' and 'Squealer' (the
'jacks') at a lark, which 'put-in' at an outhouse and was captured. A second
lark proved too strong by mounting up above the 'jacks' until they gave up the
flight in despair. A third lark 'put-in' among some sheep, and a fourth in a belt
of trees. The females 'Ruby' and 'Queen' were tried, with better luck; after
several stoops each, 'Ruby' took the first lark flushed, just as it was 'putting-in.'
In the second flight the lark commenced to mount, but finding the merlins its
masters, sought refuge in a cottage, where a cat took it. 'Queen' did most of the
work in this flight, but the birds succeeded in taking separate larks in their
third and last flight; 'Queen,' getting a young bird at the first stoop, 'Ruby,' an
old one after some hard work and a long flight."
The Goshawk.—Most Falconers are obliged to fly those hawks most suited to
the nature of the country in which they reside. In an enclosed and wooded dis-
trict the Goshawk and Sparrow-hawk are the only ones which can be flown with
any success. The latter I kept as a boy, and I am still in doubt which suffered
the most—the hawk, from being handled by one who knew nothing of the fine old