[22] From the Shāh-Nāma.

[23] The Shāh, and in fact all kings, are styled “The Shadow of God.”

[24] A.D. 1868.

[25] The allusion is to some story of the ant presenting Solomon with the leg of a locust.

[26] The book, however, contains only two numbered bābs; the first, pages 1 to 26 (1st Edition) on “The species of Hunting-birds;” and the second, the remaining 157 pages of the book on other subjects. The 2nd bāb, however, commences with: “On the black-eyed birds of prey that have at various times of my life come into my possession and which....”

CONTENTS

PAGE
TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION[xi]

PERSIAN AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION

[xvii]
[PART I]
THE YELLOW-EYED BIRDS OF PREY
CHAP.
I.

On the Short-winged Hawks used in Falconry

[1]
II.

The Goshawks

[3]
III.

The Sparrow-hawk

[11]
IV.

The Pīqū Sparrow-hawk

[15]
V.

The Shikra

[17]
VI.

The Serpent Eagle

[17]
VII.

The Eagle Owl

[18]
VIII.

Other Species of Owls

[22]
IX.

The Harriers

[25]
X.

The Lammergeyer or Bearded Vulture

[27]
XI.

The Osprey

[29]
[PART II]
THE DARK-EYED BIRDS OF PREY
XII.

The Eagles and Buzzards

[30]
XIII.

Kites and Harriers

[33]
XIV.

The Vultures

[34]
XV.

The Raven

[35]
XVI.

The Shunqār or Jerfalcon

[36]
XVII.

The Shāhīn

[42]
XVIII.

The Peregrine (Baḥrī)

[47]
XIX.

The Saker Falcon (F. Cherrug)

[49]
XX.

The Eyess Saker Falcon

[55]
XXI.

Strange Arab Devices for Catching the Passage Saker

[57]
XXII.

The Merlin

[61]
XXIII.

The Hobby

[65]
XXIV.

The Sangak

[68]
XXV.

The Kestril

[68]
XXVI.

The Shrike

[72]
XXVII.

Miscellaneous Notes

[73]
XXVIII.

Method of Snaring a Wild Goshawk with the Aid of a Lamp

[75]
XXIX.

Training the T̤arlān or Passage Goshawk

[78]
XXX.

“Reclaiming” the Passage Saker

[94]
XXXI.

Anecdotes of a Baghdad Falconer

[98]
XXXII.

Training the Passage Saker to Gazelle

[99]
XXXIII.

Training the Eyess Saker to Eagles

[110]
XXXIV.

Eyess Saker and Gazelle

[115]
XXXV.

Another Method of Training the Eyess and Passage Sakers to Gazelle

[124]
XXXVI.

Training the “Shāhīn”

[125]
XXXVII.

Training the Passage Saker to Common Heron

[136]
XXXVIII.

Training the Passage Saker to Common Crane

[140]
XXXIX.

On Management During the Moult

[148]
XL.

Remedies for Slow Moulting

[151]
XLI.

On Feeding on Jerboas During the Moult

[152]
XLII.

On Feeling the Pulse, and on the Signs of Health

[153]
XLIII.

On Diseases of the Head and Eyes

[154]
XLIV.

On Diseases of the Mouth

[155]
XLV.

Diseases of the Nose

[157]
XLVI.

On Diseases of the Ear

[157]
XLVII.

On Epilepsy

[158]
XLVIII.

On Palpitation

[160]
XLIX.

The Sickness called Karaj, which is Costiveness

[162]
L.

Hectic Fever or Phthisis

[163]
LI.

On Canker of the Feathers

[166]
LII.

Lice

[168]
LIII.

Worms

[169]
LIV.

Heat Stroke

[170]
LV.

Palsy, etc.

[170]
LVI.

Diseases of the Feet: the “Pinne” in the Feet

[172]
LVII.

On Paralysis of a Toe

[176]
LVIII.

Feathers Plucked Out by the Root

[176]
LIX.

Operation of Opening the Stomach

[179]
LX.

On the Number of Feathers in the Wing and Tail

[181]
LXI.

Counsels and Admonitions

[182]
LXII.

Accidental Immersion during Winter

[183]
LXIII.

Expedient if Meat Fail

[184]
LXIV.

Restoration after Drowning

[184]
LXV.

Sage Advice

[185]
LXVI.

Cure for the Vice of “Soaring”

[186]
LXVII.

On Branding the Nostrils before Setting Down to Moult

[189]
LXVIII.

A Hawk not to be Fed when “Blown”

[190]
LXIX.

Miscellaneous Notes

[192]
ILLUSTRATIONS
I.

Hunting and Hawking Scene (from a painting in an ancient Persian MS.)

[Frontispiece]
II.

Facsimile of a page of the Teheran Lithographed Edition

[xvi]
III.

Persian Carpet depicting Hawking Scene

[2]
IV.

From an old Persian painting, Indian, probably of the Mug͟hal Period

[5]
V.

From a painting in an ancient Persian MS. written in India

[7]
VI.

Persian Carpet depicting the Court of a Sikh Mahārājā

[9]
VII.

Intermewed Peregrine

[43]
VIII.

Young Peregrine (Indian Hood)

[45]
IX.

Young Passage Saker (dark variety)

[51]
X.

Young Passage Saker (dark variety)

[53]
XI.

Hobby with Seeled Eyes

[64]
XII.

Hobby with Seeled Eyes

[66]
XIII.

Hobby with Seeled Eyes

[67]
XIV.

Persian Falconer with Intermewed Goshawk (from a photograph by a Persian)

[77]
XV.

Intermewed Goshawk on Eastern Padded Perch (from a Persian painting)

[79]
XVI.

Arab Falconer with Young Saker on Padded and Spiked Perch

[95]
XVII.

Young Gazelle

[101]
XVIII.

Young Passage Saker (light variety) on Hubara

[117]
XIX.

Young Passage Saker (dark variety) on Hubara

[119]
XX.

Hubara sunning itself

[121]
XXI.

Stone-Plover

[127]
XXII.

Heron Struck Down by Peregrine (photo taken just before the Heron touched the ground)

[129]
XXIII.

Young Peregrine (English Block and Indian Hood)

[131]
XXIV.

Intermewed Peregrines (from a photograph by Lieut.-Col. S. Biddulph)

[133]
XXV.

Hunting and Hawking Scene

[195]

Part I
THE YELLOW-EYED BIRDS OF PREY

CHAPTER I
ON THE SHORT-WINGED HAWKS USED IN FALCONRY

The Birds of Prey are divided into two great divisions, the “Yellow-eyed” and the “Black-eyed,” these being again sub-divided into numerous species.