a kind of sport or amusement, respecting the antiquity of which different opinions have been entertained by the learned. It is denied by Blondus, Laurentius Valla, and others, that the ancient Greeks knew anything about falconry; but the learned Professor Beckmann, on the most unequivocal authority, maintains that they did. He admits that they might be ignorant of the art of hawking, or of chafing. chasing game with birds trained for that purpose; but he contends that they employed some species of the most rapacious of the winged tribe in hunting and fowling. In the days of Ctesias, the Indians hunted hares and foxes by means of rapacious birds; and Aristotle says expressly, "In Thrace, the men go out to catch birds with hawks. They beat the reeds and bushes which grow in marshy places, in order to raise the small birds, which the hawks pursue and drive to the ground, where the fowlers kill them with poles."

Respecting Thrace, which is situated above Amphipolis, a wonderful circumstance is related, which to many may appear almost incredible. We are informed that boys went into the fields, and pursued birds by the assistance of hawks. When they found a convenient place for their purpose, they called their hawks by their particular names, which came immediately on hearing their voices, and pursued the birds into the bushes, where the boys killed them with sticks, and thus made them their prey. When the hawks themselves laid hold of any birds, they threw them to the fowlers, and received, for their fidelity, a share of the game. If we add the spaniel, now employed to find out the game, the hood placed upon the head of the hawk, and the thong for holding it, we may clearly perceive in these ancient accounts the practice of modern times. Falconers still give a portion of the game to the hawk, as was the usual practice of the boys at Thrace.

According to the testimony of Philo, Pliny, Ælian, and others, the birds were sometimes driven into nets by the hawks employed in these sports. From India and Thrace, therefore, it seems manifest, that the Greeks obtained their first information as to the method of fowling with birds of prey; but they themselves do not appear to have adopted the practice at a very early period. In Italy, however, it must have been extremely well understood, since it is mentioned by Martial and Apuleius as a thing everywhere known. After being once known, it was never totally forgotten; but it shared the fate of other inventions in this respect, that it was originally admired, and afterwards much neglected, by which means it received no material improvements for a considerable time; yet it was at length brought to the utmost perfection. We find mention made of this sport in the Roman laws, and in many authors of the fourth and subsequent century. In the time of Constantine the Great, Julius Firmicus Maternus assures us, according to the superstitious notions of that period, that such as are born under certain signs, will become great sportmen, and keep hounds and falcons. Sidonius, who flourished about the end of the fifth century, praises Herdicus, the brother of his wife, because he was the first in his territories who practised hunting and fowling with dogs and hawks.

Falconry appears to have been carried to the greatest perfection, and to have been much esteemed at the chief courts of Europe, so early as the 12th century, for which reason some have ascribed the invention to the emperor Frederic I., whereas he appears to have been only the first who introduced the practice into Italy, according to the testimony of Rodericus and Collenocio; and Frederic II., wrote a book entitled, De arte venandi cum avibus, to which the practice has been much indebted. Falconry has had a number of admirers among the fair sex, perhaps in a superior degree to any other sport or amusement whatever of a similar nature; but their attachment was destroyed by the invention of gunpowder, which was accompanied both with alarm and danger. We conclude our remarks on the history of falconry with an observation of Demetrius, who flourished in the 13th century, and who expressly wrote at large on this subject. He defies sportmen to say their prayers (Τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ) before they go out to the field, which appears wholly incompatible with the practice of modern times, and seems as impious as to crave assistance of God when preparing for a piratical expedition.

art of training all manner of hawks, but more especially the larger ones called falcons, to the exercise of hawking. See Hawking.

When a falcon is taken, she must be fed in such a manner, that, as the feeling slackens, she may see what provision lies before her; but care ought to be taken, not to feel her too hard. A falcon or hawk newly taken should have all new furniture, as new jesses of good leather, mailed leaflets with buttons at the end, and new bewets. There should also be provided a small round stick, to stroke the hawk; because, the sooner this is done, the sooner and better will she be mannered. She must also have two good bells, that she may be found when she scattereth. Her hood should be well fashioned, raised, and embossed against her eyes, deep, and yet strait enough beneath, that it may fall about her head without hurting her; and her beak and talons must be a little coped, but not so near as to make them bleed.

If it be a soar-falcon, which had already passed the seas, she will indeed be harder to reclaim, but will prove the best of falcons. Her food must be good and warm, and given her twice or thrice a-day till she be full gorged: the bell for this purpose is pigeons, larks, or other live birds; because she must be broken off by degrees from her accustomed feeding. When she is fed, you must hoop and lure, as you do when you call a hawk, that she may know when you intend to give her meat. On this occasion the must be unhooded gently; and after giving her two or three bits, her hood must be put on again, when she is to get two or three bits more. Care must be taken that she be close fed; and after three or four days, her diet may be lessened: the falconer setting her every night to perch by him, that he may awaken her often in the night. In this manner he must proceed, till he find her to grow tame and gentle; and when she begins to feed eagerly, he may give her a fleecy heart. She may now begin to unhood her in the day time; but it must be far from company, first giving her a bit or two, then hooding her gently, and giving her as much more. When she is sharp fed, he may now unhood her, and give her some meat just against his face and eyes, which will make her less afraid of the countenance of others. She must be borne continually on the fist, till she is properly mannered, causing her to feed in company, giving her in the morning, about sunrise, the wing of a pullet; and in the evening, the foot of a hare or coney, cut off above the joint, flayed and laid in water, which being squeezed, is to be given her with the pinion of a hen's wing. For two or three days give her washed meat, and then plumage in more or less quantity as she is thought to be more or less foul within. After this, being hooded again, the Falconry, is to get nothing till she has gleamed and cast, when a little hot meat may be given her in company; and, towards evening, the may be allowed to plume a hen's wing in company also. Cleanse the feathers of her casting, if foul and slimy; if she be clean within, give her gentle castings; and when she is reclaimed, manned, and made eager and sharp set, he may venture to feed her on the lure.

However, three things are to be considered before the lure be showed her: 1. That she be bold and familiar in company, and not afraid of dogs and horses. 2. Sharp set and hungry, having regard to the hour of morning and evening, when you would lure her. 3. Clean within, and the lure well garnished with meat on both sides; and when you intend to give her the length of a leash, you must abcond yourself.

She must also be unhooded, and have a bit or two given her on the lure as she sits on your fist; afterwards take the lure from her, and hide it that she may not see it; and when she is unfeeled, cast the lure near her, that she may catch it within the length of her leash, and as soon as she has seized it, use your voice as falconers do, feeding her upon the lure, on the ground, with the heart and warm thigh of a pullet.

Having so lured your falcon, give her but little meat in the evening; and let this luring be so timely, that you may give her plumage, and a juck of a joint next morning on your fist. When she has cast and gleamed, give her a little reaching of warm meat. About noon, tie a creance to her leash; and going into the field, there give her a bit or two upon her lure; then unwind the creance, and draw it after you a good way; and let him who has the bird hold his right hand on the tassel of her hood, ready to unhood her as soon as you begin to lure; to which if she come well, stoop roundly upon it, and hastily seize it, let her cast two or three bits thereon. Then, unfeizing and taking her off the lure, hood her and give her to the man again; and, going farther off, lure and feed her as before.

In this manner is the falconer to proceed, luring her every day farther and farther off, till she is accostomed to come freely and eagerly to the lure; after which she may be lured in company, taking care that nothing affright her. When she is used to the lure on foot, she is to be lured on horseback; which may be effected the sooner, by causing horsemen to be about her when she is lured on foot.

When she has grown familiar to this way, let somebody on foot hold the hawk, and he on horseback must call and cast the lure about his head, the holder taking off the hood by the tassel; and if she seize eagerly on the lure without fear of man or horse, then take off the creance, and lure her at a greater distance. And if you would have her love dogs as well as the lure, call dogs when you give her her living or plumage. See Hawking.