THIS Curious bird resembles the common falcon in its head, bill, and claws; but its legs are so long that, when it stands upright, it is not much unlike the crane. After much hesitation, modern naturalists have arranged it in the vulture order. When standing erect, it measures about three feet from the top of the head to the ground. It is a native of the interior of Africa, Asia, and the Philippine Islands. The general color of the plumage is a bluish ash; the tips of the wings, the thighs, and the vent inclining to black. On the back of the head are several long dark colored feathers, hanging down behind, and capable of being erected at pleasure. This crest induced the Dutch colonists at the Cape to give it the name of the secretary; the Hottentots, however, style it the serpent eater, from the avidity with which it catches and devours those noxious reptiles. The manner in which it seizes them, displays great intelligence. On approaching them, it carries forward the point of one of its wings, in order to parry their venomous bites, and waits till it finds an opportunity of spurning or treading on its adversary, or taking him on his pinions, and throwing him into the air. When he has at last thus wearied him out, he kills and devours him at his leisure.

1Gypogeranus serpentarius, TEMM. This is the only individual of the genus. Its characteristics are-bill shorter than the head, thick, strong, hooked, bent from its origin, furnished with a cere at its base, a little arched, compressed at the point; nostrils a little separated at the base, lateral, pierced in the cere, diagonal, oblong, open; legs very long, slender; tibia feathered; tarsus long, slenderer at its base than at its upper part; toes short, warty below, the anterior united at the base; thumb articulated on the tarsus; wings long, the first five wing feathers longest and almost equal; wings armed with a blunt spur.

M. le Vaillant witnessed one of these combats. Finding itself inferior in strength, the serpent endeavored to regain his hole, but the falcon, by a single leap, got before him and cut off his retreat. On whatever side the reptile strove to escape, the enemy still faced him. The serpent then erected himself to intimidate the bird, and hissing dreadfully, displayed his menacing throat, inflamed eyes, and a head swoln with rage and venom. Sometimes this produced a momentary suspension of hostilities; but the bird soon returned to the charge, and, covering her body with one of her wings as a buckler, struck her enemy with the bony protuberance of the other. The serpent at last dropped, and the bird laid open his skull with one stroke of her beak.

This singular bird may be easily tamed, and it becomes very domestic and familiar. Though, if severely pinched with hunger, it will devour ducklings and chickens; yet, if well fed, it will live with the poultry on amicable terms, and when it sees any of them quarrelling, will run to part the combatants. Unlike all the rest of the feathered race, these birds always strike forward with their legs when they fight.

THE JER FALCON1

In size exceeds all other falcons, for he approaches nearly to the magnitude of the eagle. The top of the head is flat, and of an ash color, with a strong, thick, short, and blue beak. The feathers of the beak and wings are marked with black spots, in the shape of a heart. He is a courageous and fierce bird, nor fears even the eagle himself; but he chiefly flies at the stork, the heron, and the crane. He is mostly found in the colder regions of the north, in Iceland, Denmark, and the north of Germany, but loses neither his strength nor his courage when brought into the milder climates.

Falconry, which is now so much disused, was the principal amusement of our European ancestors. A person of rank scarcely stirred out without his hawk on his hand, which in old paintings is the criterion of nobility. The expense which attended this sport was very great; among the old Welsh princes, the king's falconer was the fourth officer in the state; but, notwithstanding all his honors, he was forbidden to take more than three draughts of beer from his horn, lest he should get drunk and neglect his duty. In the reign of James the First; Sir Thomas Monson is said to have given a thousand pounds for a cast of hawks; and such was their value in

1 Falco Islandicus, GMEL. The genus Falco has the head covered with feathers; bill hooked, generally bent from its origin; a colored cere, more or less hairy at its base; mandibles sometimes notched; nostrils lateral, rounded or oval, pierced in the cere, open; legs with tarsi covered with feathers or scales; three toes before, one behind, the exterior generally united at its base to the middle toe; claws sharp, much hooked, retractile.

general, that it was made felony in the reign of Edward the Third to steal a hawk. To take its eggs, even in a person's own ground, was punishable with imprisonment for a year and a day, together with a fine at the king's pleasure.

Of many of the ancient falcons used for this purpose, we at this time know only the names. Of those in use at present, both in England and in other countries, are the jer falcon, the falcon, the lanner, the sacre, the hobby, the kestril, and the merlin. These are called the long winged hawks, to distinguish them from the goshawk, the sparrow-hawk, the kite, and the buzzard, that are of shorter wing, and either too slow, too cowardly, too indolent, or too obstinate, to be serviceable in contributing to the pleasure of the field.

T

IN different stages of its growth the peregrine falcon has been known by various English names. Its proper appellation among the falconers is the slight falcon, the term falcon gentle being equally applicable to all the species when rendered manageable. The young bird of the year is called an eyess, not, as has been imagined, from the German ey, an egg, but from the French nias, which has the same signification as eyess, most of the terms of falconry having been adopted from the French. Several other instances

occur in our language, in which the initial n has detached itself from the substantive, and become permanently attached to the indefinite article. In the immature state this falcon is also called a red hawk, from the prevailing color of its plumage. When full grown and in a wild state it is called a haggard or passage falcon. The male is called a tiercel or tersel, to distinguish it from the female, which, among birds of prey, is most commonly one third larger than the male. Many of these terms are equally applicable to the other species used in hawking, and are only employed by the profes sors of that art, which is now fast going to decay. The following passage from Sir J. Sebright's Observations on hawking, published in 1826, will best illustrate its present condition.

"The village of Falconswaerd, near Bois le Duc, in Holland, has for many years furnished falconers to the rest of Europe. I have known many falconers in England, and in the service of different persons on the continent; but I never met with one of them who was not a native Falconswaerd. It has been the practice of these industrious and sober men, to stay with their employers during the season for hawking, and to pass the remainder of the year with their families at home."

What is known in the United States by the name of the great footed or duck hawk, is probably the same species known in Europe by the name of the peregrine falcon. It is said to attack ducks, and wild geese, striking them down with the projecting bone of its breast. According to Mr Audubon, it is more common in this country than formerly. It flies with astonishing rapidity; its nests are built in cedar swamps.

THE MERLINI

Is in size little larger than the European blackbird, and is consequently the smallest of the hawk kind. Its bill is blue; the cere and irides are yellow; the head is of a rust color, streaked with black, and edged with rust color; the quill feathers are dark, tipped and margined in the inner webs with

1 Falco æsalon, TEм.

reddish white; the breast and belly are of a yellowish white, with streaks of rusty brown pointing downwards; the tail is long, and marked with alternate dusky and pale bars; the wings, when closed, do not reach quite to the end of the tail; the legs are yellow, and claws black.

Small as it is, this bird is not inferior in courage to any of the falcon tribe. It was formerly used for taking larks, partridges, and quails, which it would frequently kill by a single blow, striking them on the breast, head, or neck. It differs from the falcons, and all the rapacious kind, in the male and female being of the same size.

The courage of these creatures in general was such, that no bird, not very much above their own size, could terrify them; their swiftness so great, that scarce any bird could escape them; and their docility so remarkable, that they obeyed not only the commands, but the signs, of their master. They remained quietly perched upon his hand till their game was flushed, or else kept hovering round his head without ever leaving him but when he gave permission. The common falcon is a bird of such spirit, that, like a conqueror in a country, he keeps all birds in awe and in subjection to his prowess. Where he is seen flying wild, the birds of every kind, that seemed entirely to disregard the kite or the sparrow-hawk, fly with screams at his most distant appearance.

In order to train up a falcon, the master begins by clapping straps upon his legs, which are called jesses, to which is fastened a ring with the owner's name, by which, in case he should be lost, the finder may know where to bring him back. To these also are added little bells, which serve to mark the place where he is seen, if lost in the chase. He is always carried on the hand, and is obliged to be kept without sleeping. If he be stubborn, and attempts to bite, his head is plunged in water. Thus, by hunger, watching, and fatigue, he is constrained to submit to having his head covered by a hood or cowl, which covers his eyes. This troublesome employment continues often for three days and nights without ceasing. It rarely happens but at the end of this, his necessities and the privation of light make him lose all idea of liberty, and bring down his natural wildness. His master judges of his being tamed when he permits his head to be covered without resistance, and when uncovered he seizes the meat before him contentedly. The repetition of these lessons by degrees insures success. His wants being the chief principle of his dependence, it is endeavored to increase his appetite by giving him little balls of flannel, which he greedily swallows. Having thus excited the appetite, care is taken to satisfy it; and thus gratitude attaches the bird to the man who but just before had been his

tormenter.

When the first lessons have succeeded, and the bird shows signs of docility, he is carried out on some green, the head is uncovered, and, by flattering him with food at different times, he is taught to jump on the hand, and to continue there. When confirmed in this habit, it is then thought time to