Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/69

 under the wing, which must have happened when it was at the greatest altitude, else the stroke would have been witnessed.

Actions of Trained Falcons when at liberty. — So well trained were these falcons, that the most intelligent were permitted to be at large at Mr. Sinclaire's country -place, and one would remain for hours together perched on the same spot. A lofty and beauti- ful weeping-birch, whence a fine range of view was commanded, was a favourite perch, but no matter where these birds were about the place, the call of their master, or of the falconer, was imme- diately attended to ; — in a moment they were with him. Ac- customed to be fed in the hawk-yard, they depended on being pro- vided with food there, instead of looking for prey ; but one fine bird was an exception to this rule. On flying to the hawk -yard at the Palls, or at Ballantrae, and finding no food on the "hack," or board on which it is fastened, she would at once sally forth to kill birds for herself. This falcon was so intelligent as to be a particular favourite, and have her full liberty about Ballantrae. She would take flights of several miles from the hawk-yard, and, when ranging free as air, would, on seeing her master out shoot- ing, fly with delight to him, alight on his head or shoulder, and "put in" grouse for him. One day, when shooting with Lord Orkney on his moor there, my friend, quite unaware of the prox- imity of the falcon, fired at a gray hen,* which the hawk, at the same moment, made a stoop at, and was struck by a grain of shot, but fortunately was little injured.f

Peregrine falcons have occasionally forgotten the proprieties, and abused the liberty accorded to themj at the Falls. They have killed Brent geese of full size, which, with one wing pinioned, were kept on a pond ; a large domestic cock, too, was once attacked, and would have been killed in another moment, had he not been rescued. The following paragraph relates to what may be con- sidered fair game.

Brown-hen or gray-hen are names applied to the female of the black grouse ; the male being commonly called black-cock.

f In the review of a work on Falconry, in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture for December, 1842, p. 326, there is an extremely interesting account of a pet falcon.

Waterton mentions wild peregrine falcons attacking the mallards and teal at Walton Hall.— Essay on Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 199.