2l6 THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
sport, or myself from the frequent agony of mind, when the sparrow-hawk was
left out at nights, or in other words got away, and was lost for the time ! But be
the country open or enclosed, should rabbits be plentiful, I would strongly advise
my brother falconers to keep a female goshawk. No two flights at rabbits are
identical, and the variation both in flight and kills when among furze and bracken
on a winter's day, is delightful to the true falconer.
We all know how a rabbit can twist and turn when hunted by terriers, but this
is a trifle to his wrenches when my goshawk "Shadow of Death" is on the wing ;
his speed seems to be greatly increased, and the quickness and abruptness of the
turns just before the rabbit comes to its "earth" or run, are truly marvellous.
After one good season's work a goshawk knows this, and, like an old greyhound,
makes a wonderful effort just before its quarry gets home. Captain Salvin, who
is a well-known authority on this hawk, once killed four hares in one day with his
favourite goshawk "Agrippa." Although the quarry which a goshawk will take
is very varied, from my experience I consider it better to confine the female
goshawk to rabbits and hares. In illustration of what I mean, I may relate that
I well remember flying at waterhens, and then at rabbits, on the same day. "Shadow
of Death" killed six waterhens right away, and a pheasant, but when a rabbit
was started she refused to fly it, doubtless being on the look out for an easier
quarry, but the day after she again flew a rabbit as keenly as ever. The male
goshawk takes pheasants well, and instances are noted of its killing partridges,
but there is no doubt that a full feathered partridge is in general too quick for any
hawk but a falcon or a tiercel. "Shadow of Death" prefers a rat to anything else ;
in fact, as a lure, nothing is so attractive. I can recall one autumnal day, and a
flight at a rabbit, when the quarry escaped into a thick fence, while the goshawk
took stand on an old elm tree close at hand. "Old Twig" made a rush in at it,
and in a moment or two out bolted, not the rabbit, but a stoat. In an instant this
was seen by "Shadow of Death." Away she stooped, killing at once what was
anything but a savoury quarry. A squirrel has a strange attraction for our goshawk ;
it is wonderful to note the quickness with which she can see one, even on the top
of the Scotch firs. The slightest movement on the squirrel's part betrays its pre-
sence to her, and a flight at one is a perfect illustration of the footing powers in a
goshawk ; they are scrambling flights, half jumping, half flying, in and out of the
thick boughs, ending in hawk and quarry coming to the earth in a confused heap.
Any change of dress, or the use of a strange dog, should be strictly avoided, as
nothing upsets a goshawk more than such departure from its usual surroundings.
I once had a morning's sport ruined by a boy (one of the field) appearing in a blue
cap ; it seemed to put her out of ''yarak;" and when at block, her pet aversion is a
brown waterproof !
Success or failure depends very much on the temper of your hawk. The
goshawk for instance, being to all appearances in "yarak" when slipped, will
not always fly her quarry, or if at all, she flies in a half-hearted manner. Should
she be disappointed, she will take stand on the nearest tree, and the most tempt-
ing lure will not bring her to fist; yet, notwithstanding this uncertain temper, I
believe the goshawk to be more attached to the falconer than any other kind.
In conclusion, I beg to thank you for having listened so patiently to my desultory
remarks. I trust that I have not wearied you, but I know that when well "out
of hood and on the wings of my favourite sport, I am apt to forget sometimes
that my hearers may not have so keen an admiration as myself for the Falconer's