FAL
like that of the curlew, very long, very {lender and crooked, its legs moderately long; as this bird grows older, it becomes ofa browenr hue. It is called by fome, ardea nigra, the black heron, and by the Italians acion negro. Ray's Ornitholog. p. 218. FALCO, the Falcon, In the Linnsean fyftem of zoology, this makes a diftincf genus of birds of the hawk kind, the charac- ters of which arc, that thefe have on their feet three toes be- fore and one behind, none of which are moveable backwards. The birds of this genus are the eagle, the vulture, the buz- zard, the kaftrell hawk and the lanio. Linnai Syftem Na- turse. p. 44.
The Falcon is a bird of prey of the hawk kind, much efteem- cd for its ftrength and activity. There are many fpecies of this bird, but when the word Fako is ufed hngly without any diftinctivc addition, it i;. meant of that fpecies called by au- thors, the Fako pcrcgr'mus, from its travelling into different countries, at different ieafons of the year. It has very long and large wings, reaching when folded to the tip of the tail. Its fhoulders are very large, its tail very long and ending like the fparrow-hawks in a point, its end being white, variegated with orange coloured ftreaks. Its feet are of a greenifh or bluifh yellow, its neck is long, and its head and back of a pale dove colour. There is a variety of this bird, which are of a much blacker colour on the back, and has been erroneoufly efteemed by fome a different fpeices, pro- bably it is only owing to the difference of age or fex. This bird is caught in France, Germany and elfewhere, but it is not well known where it builds. It feeds on ducks, geefe and other large birds. Ray's Ornitholog. p. 43. The Falcon is of the long winged hawk kind, ufed in the di- verfion of hawking. There are feveral fpecies of Falcons. 1. The Fako perqrrtnus, or common Falcon. 2. The facer, called Fako facer by authors. 3. The Jerfalcon or Gyrfdko. 4. The Mountain Falcon. 5. The Gentle Falcon or Falco gen- tilis, fufpected by Mr. Ray to be the fame with the common or firft kind. 6. The Haggard Falcon, remarkable for the fhortnefs of its neck. 7. The White Falcon, all over of a pure fnow white. 8. The Stone Falcon, of a deep blackifh blue. g. The Tunis or Barbary Falcon, which refembles the com- mon kind, but is fmaller. 10 The red Falcon, much refembling the common kind but fpotted with a reddilh colour, and the red and crefted Indian Falcon, which feem to be the male and female of the fame fpecies. Rays Ornitholog, p. 40. to 48. See the articles Gyr falcon, Sac re, Lanna- rius, &c.
The gentle Falcon is the moft valuable of all thefe, as being the moft tame and managable, and the moft hardy, enduring all weathers without hurt. This kind of Falcon has a natu- ral inclination to fly the heron every way, and is moft excel- lent at the brook or river fowling, and efpecially at the larger birds, as at the (hovel, wild goofe and the like. If fhe be an eyefs file may be ventured at the crane, otherwife fhe will not be fo hardy.
Hawks in general prove courageous or cowardly all their lives accordingly as they are firft quarried ; and if they are taken out of the eyrie before they are fully fumm'd and well penn'd, their wings will never grow to perfection. Their legs alfo will grow crooked, and their train will be full of tainrs. Falcons of one and the fame kind are called by the fportfmcn by very different names, and efteemed of feveral different kinds according to the places and time of their reclaiming, and the countries from whence they came. Thus the names mewed hawk, ramaged hawk, foar hawk, and eyeffe, came into the world ; and thefe are again divided into large hawks, wean hawks and flender hawks. All thefe have different mails and plumes, according to the country from whence they come; fome are black, fome brown: they have alfo each, its different difpofition, fome being beft for the field, and others for the brook or river. Different names are alfo given to Falcons, according to their different age and time of taking. The Fakon is called an eyeffe, as long as fhe remains in the eyrie, thefe are always troublefome in their feeding, they cry very much, and they are not entered without great difficulty, but being once well entered, they prove excellent haw'ks for the heron and all the large fowl, and are very hardy and full of courage.
The fecond name given this bird is the ramage Falcon. This name fhe retains from the time of her leaving the eyrie du- ring the months of June, July, and Auguft. Thefe are al- ways hard to be manivd ; but being reclaimed, they are not inferior to any hawk. The third is the foar hawk, fo called in September, October, and November. Thefe birds keep for a whole twelvemonth the firft feathers, which they have on when they leave the eyrie, and do not molt them. Thefe are therefore called the foar feathers. The fourth is termed the murzarolt or carvift, quafi carry-fift; for they muft at this time be almoft continually carried on the fift. They are thus called from January to the middle of May. Thefe are ufually great baters, and very little eaters; they are fubjefl to feveral troublefome diforders, particularly to the filanders, more than any other hawk, and they are \ery feldom brought to
FAL
good. The fifth name is the entermew. They are called h this name from May till December, becauft all that time tl ■' are calling their coats. Thefe would be excellent hawks'^rf they could be trufted, but they are unfteady. They muft h kept hard under, and the falconer muft make his fift their perch The hawk newly taken muft have all new furniture* and muft be often ftroaked with a flick to accuftom her to be gentle. She muft alfo have two good bells, that fhe mav be well heard when fhe ftirs or fcratches; and her beak and ta- lons muft be cut a little, but not fo near as to make them bleed. If there be a foar Falcon taken that has already croffed the feas, file is ufually very hard to be broken ; but that beins: well done, fhe is the beft of ail hawks. Her food muft be good and warm, and it muft be given her at leaft three times a day. It fhould be pigeons, larks, or other live birds ; for fhe muft be broke by degrees from her accuftomed manner of feeding. The hawk muft always be fed with hoop and lure that fhe may always know when you will give her meat. She muft: then be gently unhooded, and two or three bits hein^ given her, fire muft be hooded again. And in the night let her rooft on a perch near fome perfon's bed, that fhe may be often waked in the night. When by thefe means fhe becomes tame and gentle, her ufual food may be changed, and a fheep's heart given her. After this fhe may be unhooded in the day- time, but not in company; and after giving her a bit or two, fhe muft be hooded again, and then a little more given her. After this by degrees fhe will be taught to eat before compa- ny, and then the bufinefs of taming her will be foon accom- plifbed. Till fhe is thoroughly manned, fhe muft be born continually on the fift, and ted in company, giving her in the morning about fun rife a wing of a pullet, and every even- ing the foot ofa hare or rabbit cut off above the joint, Head and laid in water, which having fqueczed give it her with the pinion of a hen's wing. It is beft to give the hawk wafhed meat, and after this plumage, according as fhe feems to be foul within. She is then to be hooded, and nothing more fhould be given her till fhe gleams after cafting : but when fire has gleamed and caft, fhe fhould then have fome hot meat given her toward evening efpecially, and be made to eat it in company. When fhe is well reclaim'd, mann'd, and fharp fet, file may be fed on the lure.
FALCONE, in zoology, a name by which fome authors have called the milvus or flying-fifh. IVilleughly'sUxft. Pifc. p. 283. See the article Milvus.
FALD-&, or Fald-%, was antiently ufed for a rent or fee paid by fome cuftomary tenants, for liberty to fold their fheep upon their own land.
FALDELLA, a word ufed by fome of the writers in furgery for a fort of comprefs made of lift contorted together in feve- ral doubles.
FALDUSTOR was antiently ufed to fignifv the higheft feat of a bifhop encloled round with a lattice. Blount.
FALDWORTH, among our old writers, was ufed to fignify a perfon of age, fufficicnt to be reckoned of fome decennary. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. in voc.
EALL, a meafure of length ufed in Scotland, containing fix of the ells of that country, each of which is equal to 37-V Eng- ^ lifh inches. Tr. Pracf. Geom. p. 3. See Measures.
Fall, among feamen, denotes that part of the rope of a tackle which is haled upon. They fay alfo that a fhip hath Falls when fhe is not flujb, but hath rifings of fome parts of her decks more than others. Alfo a fhip is faid to fall off, when being under fail, fhe keeps not fo near the wind as fhe fhould do.
Fall not off, at fea, a word of command from him that conds the fhip, fignifying as much as, keep the fhip near the wind.
FALLOPIAN tube (Cycl.) — It is no uncommon thing for a foetus to be retained in one of thefe tubes inftead of being in the womb. But there is in the memoirs of the Paris academy a very remarkable account of one contained, not in the tube itfelf, but in a fack or bag, formed by the external membrane of the right tube. The egg having by fome unhappy acci- dent faftened itfelf between that membrane and the inner one, the external membrane became monftroufly dilated, as the foetus in growing naturally preffed upon that on which it red- ed. At the expiration of the ninth month, the furgeon who attended the woman, found that it was impoffible (he fhould be delivered ; though he could not guefs the true cir- cumftances of fo unhappy a cafe. He obferved at the fame time a tumor near the navel, from which there oozed out a ferous humour. He was determined to open this tu- mor with all the neceftary precautions ; and having done fo, he took out by this means the foetus, which was dead, and had been fo a long time. Mem. Acad. Par. 1714.
FALLOW {Cycl.)— Fallow- Finch, in zoology, a name of the acanthe, mote commonly called the wheat-ear, and by fonw authors Ocliliora. See WH£AT-f?cr.
FALLUM, in fome of our law lexicographers, is faid to be a fort of land ; and for proof of this tibey quote the Monajliccn Anglkamtm—Qz duobus acris & viginti fallis in, &c. Jacob. But from this pufiage it would rather feem that fallum fignifi- ed a meafure of land, as well as acra. And to this day a fall is a meafure of land in Scotland. See Fall.
FALSE.
