Hawks are divided by falconers all over the world into two
great classes. The first class comprises “falcons,” i.e. “long-winged
hawks,” or “hawks of the lure,” distinguished by
Eastern falconers as “dark-eyed hawks.” In these the wings
are pointed, the second feather in the wing is the longest, and the
iris is of a deep, dark-brown hue. Merlins must, however, be
excepted; and here it would seem that the Eastern distinction
is the better, for though merlins are much more falcons than they
are hawks, they differ from falcons in having the third feather
in the wing the longest, while they are certainly “dark-eyed
hawks.”
The second class is that of “hawks,” i.e. “short-winged hawks,” or “hawks of the fist,” called by Eastern falconers “yellow (or rose) eyed hawks.” In these the wings are rounded, the fourth feather is the longest in the wing, and the iris is yellow, orange or deep-orange.
The following glossary of the principal terms used in falconry may assist the reader in perusing this notice of the practice of the art. Useless or obsolete terms are omitted:—
Austringan.—A falconer.
Bate.—A hawk is said to “bate” when she flutters off from the fist, perch or block, whether from wildness, or for exercise, or in the attempt to chase.
Bewits.—Straps of leather by which the bells are fastened to a hawk’s legs.
Bind.—A hawk is said to “bind” when she seizes a bird in the air and clings to it.
Block.—The conical piece of wood, of the form of an inverted flower-pot, used for hawks to sit upon; for a peregrine it should be about 10 to 12 in. high, 5 to 6 in diameter at top, and 8 to 9 in diameter at base.
Brail.—A thong of soft leather used to secure, when desirable, the wing of a hawk. It has a slit to admit the pinion joint, and the ends are tied together.
Cadge.—The wooden frame on which hawks, when numerous, are carried to the field.
Cadger.—The person who carries the cadge.
Calling off.—Luring a hawk (see Lure) from the hand of an assistant.
Carry.—A hawk is said to “carry” when she flies away with the quarry on the approach of the falconer.
Cast.—Two hawks which may be used for flying together are called a “cast,” not necessarily a pair.
Casting.—The oblong or egg-shaped ball, consisting of feathers, bones, &c., which all hawks (and insectivorous birds) throw up after the nutritious part of their food has been digested. Also the fur or feathers given them to assist the process.
Cere.—The naked wax-like skin above the beak.
Check.—A hawk is said to fly at “check” when she flies at a bird other than the intended object of pursuit.
Clutching.—Taking the quarry in the feet as the short-winged hawks do. Falcons occasionally “clutch.”
Come to.—A hawk is said to “come to” when she begins to get tame.
Coping.—Cutting the beak or talons of a hawk.
Crab.—To fight.
Creance.—A long line or string.
Crop, to put away.—A hawk is said to “put away her crop” when the food passes out of the crop into the stomach.
Deck feathers.—The two centre tail-feathers.
Eyas.—A hawk which has been brought up from the nest (nyas, from Fr. niais).
Eyry.—The nest of a hawk.
Foot.—A hawk is said to “foot” well or to be a “good footer” when she is successful in killing. Many hawks are very fine fliers without being “good footers.”
Frounce.—A disease in the mouth and throat of hawks.
Get in.—To go up to a hawk when she has killed her quarry.
Hack.—The state of partial liberty in which young hawks must always at first be kept.
Haggard.—A wild-caught hawk in the adult plumage.
Hood.—(See fig.)
Hoodshy.—A hawk is said to be “hoodshy” when she is afraid of, or resists, having her hood put on.
Hunger trace.—A mark, and a defect, in the tail feathers, denoting a weak point; generally due to temporary starvation as a nestling.
Imping.—The process of mending broken feathers is called “imping.” (See fig.)
Imping needle.—A piece of tough soft iron wire from about 112 to 212 in. long, rough filed so as to be three-sided and tapering from the middle to the ends. (See fig.)
Intermewed.—A hawk moulted in confinement is said to be “intermewed.”
Jack.—Mate of the merlin.
Jerkin.—Mate of the jerfalcon.
Jesses.—Strips of light but very tough leather, some 6 to 8 in. long, which always remain on a hawk’s legs—one on each leg. (See fig.)
Jonk.—To sleep.
Leash.—A strong leathern thong, some 212 or 3 ft. long, with a knot or button at one end, used to secure a hawk. (See fig.)
Lure.—The instrument used for calling long-winged hawks—a dead pigeon, or an artificial lure made of leather and feathers or wings of birds, tied to a string, with meat attached to it.
Mail.—The breast feathers.
Make hawk.—A hawk is called a “make hawk” when, as a thoroughly trained and steady hawk, she is flown with young ones to teach them their work.
Man a hawk.—To tame a hawk and accustom her to strangers.
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| Implements used in Falconry. | |
| 1. Hood. 2. Back view of hood, showing braces a, a, b, b; by drawing the braces b, b, the hood, now open, is closed. 3. Rufter hood. 4. Imping-needle. 5. Jess; d is the space for the hawk’s leg; the point and slit a, a are brought round the leg, and passed through slit b, after which the point c and slit c, and also the whole remaining length of jess, are pulled through slits a and b; c is the slit to which |
the upper ring of swivel is attached. 6. Hawk’s leg with bell a, bewit b, jess c. 7. Jesses, swivel and leash. 8. Portion of first wing-feather of male peregrine falcon, “tiercel,” half natural size, in process of imping; a, the living hawk’s feather; b, piece supplied from another tiercel, with the imping needle c pushed half its length into it and ready to be pushed home into the living bird’s feather. |
Mantle.—A hawk is said to “mantle” when she stretches out a leg and a wing simultaneously, a common action of hawks when at ease; also when she spreads out her wings and feathers to hide any quarry or food she may have seized from another hawk, or from man. In the last case it is a fault.
Mew.—A hawk is said to “mew” when she moults. The place where a hawk was kept to moult was in olden times called her “mew.” Buildings where establishments of hawks were kept were called “mews.”
Musket.—Male of the sparrow-hawk.
Mutes (mutings).—Excrement of hawk.
Pannel.—The stomach of a hawk, corresponding with the gizzard of a fowl, is called her pannel. In it the casting is formed.
Passage.—The line herons take over a tract of country on their way to and from the heronry when procuring food in the breeding season.
Passage hawks.—Hawks captured when on their passage or migration.
Pelt.—The dead body of any quarry the hawk has killed.
Pitch.—The height to which a hawk, when waiting for game to be flushed, rises in the air.
