FALCONRY.

248

books, which reported the building of Babel, &c. Here wesee the application of these several memoirs, and observethey all tend to clear up a most desirable piece of ancienthistorical information; and that here the conception of thegreat Leibnitz appears to be well founded, who recom-mends the study of the northern languages, with a view toassist in ascertaining the migration of human society ; andits accomplishment is most desirable.

The Grecian authors previously quoted calv the rapaciousbirds above alluded unto, iepoxia Pliny names them accipitres.From the want of correct classification, it becomes difficultto distinguish the genus of the species so named; or evento understand which kind of birds they specifically meant,where they have attempted to define individuals of the class.Besides, such birds are known to be affected by the contin-gencies of age, and the seasons of the year, which, as far ascolour goes, often produce a change; from hence, it mighthappen, that the ancients of one species formed two,and sometimes more. Another consideration will be foundhighly probable to have increased this confusion: which istheir belief that new species of those birds were producedby promiscuous copulation. We believe it is now ascer-tained no such intercourse takes place. However, it appearspretty certain that the ancients divided those birds of prey,which appear by day, into three classes; i. e. aero;, aquila;

vultur; and hpa%, accipiter. The first and last be-long to that genus which LinNjEUS calls falco, and are thelarger species. The vultures are the geir-falcons, distin-guished by a bald head and neck.

An account nearly similar to the former appears in ano-ther book ascribed to Aristotle , but much more wonderful,from certain distinguishing traits; it, however, appears tobe a production not much later than his day, but accompa-nied by additions which serve to increase our wonder. Thefirst is, that in Thrace , the falcons appear when called byname; and the second, that they brought to the fowlerswhatever they had caught, of their own accord . 8 It hasbeen observed, that no distinction exists between modernfalconry and that of the ancients; but that the modernshave the aid of a spaniel to discover the game, a hood forthe head of the hawk, whilst it is perched upon the hand orarm of the fowler, with the string tied to its foot to hold itby. Our modern falconers so nearly resemble in their prac-tice the ancient Thracians, that they generally make their car-nivorous feathered partners, participators in the prey they

8 De Mirabilibus Auscultat, cap. 128.