“Halsband” dangerous in Hilly or Wooded Country.—
Third: before you go hawking in hilly or woody country, remove the “halsband”[780] from your goshawk’s neck, and this for two reasons: (1) the “halsband” interferes with her foot-work when she puts in; she perhaps gets her foot entangled in it, and the partridge or pheasant goes out at the other side of the bush; (2) it often happens that a lost hawk is found hanging dead from a branch, suspended by its “halsband.” Hence in hilly and woody country the hawk should be freed from what is there an encumbrance.
“Halsband” necessary in the Plains.—In plains, however, a “halsband” is necessary to support the hawk when she is cast off and to prevent a strain to her loins: for, in the plains, you put your horse into a gallop that your hawk may start from the fist with the force of a bullet,[781] and to this impetus you add the force of your arm when casting her. However, when flying at chukor and seesee in the hills, the flight is down-hill, and the hawk has the advantage of gravity, so it is unnecessary to use hand-force in casting her.
FOOTNOTES:
[779] This “placing a person under an obligation” is a common Eastern idea. Indian falconers will press their perquisites of old bells, jesses, and hoods, on their friends in order to “mount an obligation on him.”
[780] Chalqū.
[781] Considerable skill is necessary to cast off a short-winged hawk so as to really aid her. The difference that skilful casting makes, in the amount of quarry taken, is astonishing.
CHAPTER LXVI
CURE FOR THE VICE OF “SOARING”
Perhaps a goshawk or a sparrow-hawk may come into your possession that is naturally addicted to the vice of soaring;[782] that is, when you cast her at any quarry she will either take it at once, or, failing to do so, will give up and take to soaring and soon disappear from view. With such hawks there are three courses to be pursued, all three of which I have tested and proved.
First device.—Slightly brand the oil-bottle or oil-gland, to produce inflammation. Then thread a needle with two or three threads of silk, and wax them well to strengthen them. At a distance of three fingers’ breadth below the hawk’s oil-gland, insert the needle into the first tail-feather, and bring it out at the twelfth; draw it just so tight that when the tail is spread there will be not more than an interval of a finger’s breadth between each two feathers. When a hawk “soars,” she spreads out her whole tail. Now this silk thread will prevent her spreading her tail to her heart’s content: when she feels the unnatural constraint she will settle and give up the attempt to soar.