Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/65

 being prepared for them, a "flight" ensued, which ended by its killing one. It struck the partridge near the ground. The same swoop with which the victim was felled, carried the hawk boldly and gracefully high into the air. Had the peregrine falcon not this admirable faculty of sweeping upwards, from the stoop made at its victim when near the ground, the extreme velocity of flight would be the means of its destruction, as, missing the quarry, it would be dashed against the earth. A few days afterwards, this hawk bore us company to the field, and there was a short but good flight at an old partridge, which was killed. When struck, it fell in cover, close to a mountain-stream ; the hawk alighted on a stone- dyke at the opposite side, and there awaited for many minutes its master's coming up, when the "quarry" was obtained. The hawk "making to bathe," it was feared that the sport was over, bat she was prevented doing so. The bad effect of bathing is the wetting of the plumage, which greatly impedes the flight.

Woodcocks have always afforded the best flights with these birds ; and in hawking, I have often witnessed that singular trait in their character, of leaving their quarry the moment it takes to cover.* In this way I recollect what promised to be a good chase, being at once terminated by the woodcock's descent close to a pub- lic road, and as it could not again be sprung, another had to be sought for. When returning home, however, about six hours afterwards, a woodcock was raised from the base of a hedge at the road-side, where the bird had been lost in the morning. It was doubtless the same individual, as, unless pursued, such a place of refuge would certainly not have been chosen. Here, in all probability, this bird, had remained during the day, though many persons must have passed on the footway within a yard of it, but until coming under our notice, it may not have recovered from the fright. On one occasion, a woodcock caught merely (not struck), by a trained falcon of Mr. Sinclaire's, was carried across a ravine, and a few minutes had elapsed before the falconer could

Mr. Sinclaire's best falcon pursued woodcocks into dense cover, the first year, so that it was difficult to get her out with safety to her plumage. His falcons, or female birds, which are more savage than the males, geuerally did this the first year, but very rarely afterwards.