The booke of falconrie or havvking for the onely delight and pleasure of all noblemen and gentlemen : collected out of the best authors, aswell Italians as Frenchmen, and some English practises withall concerning falconrie / heretofore published by George Turbervile, Gentleman.

How to keepe and maintaine all manner of Hawkes in health, good plight, and liking.

TO kéep Falcons and all maner of birds of prey in health, the chiefe Falconers say y^t they must neuer haue a great gorge giuē thē specially of grosse meats, as Béefe, Porke, and such other that are hard to be put ouer & endewed. Moreouer you must beware in any wise that yée féed them not with the flesh of any beast that hath lately gone to rutte, for y^t will kill them, and yée shall not perceyue how. I find by experience, that the giuing of great gorges, and the féeding of them with such sortes of flesh, (specially cold) doth destroy and surfeite more hawkes than all other mischances that can happen to them. And therefore I warne all Falconers to beware how

they ouergorge their hawkes: and if they bee driuen to féede them with grosse flesh for want of better, let it bée well soaked in cleane water, and afterward sufficiently well wroong. It must bée done in Summer with cold water, and in Winter with luke warme water, and it must not bée wroong too much with the hand: for the massinesse of the flesh, and the loosenesse of the water will cause them to put ouer, and to indew the soo∣ner and more speedily. And it will cause them to haue the larger panels, whereby they shall the better scowre thēselues downward of the glit & grosse humors. And this is to be vn∣derstood of all grosse flesh wherewith yée shall bée faine some∣times to féede your hawkes: but not of any other féeding that is light and of good digestion. For yée must haue discretion to reward your hawke now and then with some good line and warme meat, or else shée may bée brought too low. Neuerthe∣lesse the seruing of your hawkes with washt meat (as is sayd before) is the way to kéepe them in health.