2-889-234 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Hawking - the Lure, 1850. 'A fine exhibition came off...on the [Berkshire] Downs, at about a mile and a half from the Wallingford station of the Great Western Railway. A quarry of seven blue rock pigeons, the swiftest that could be got, was flown. Five were killed, one escaping entirely, the other taking refuge in a stack of faggots, where it probably died, as it was much injured. One flight was most beautiful: the hawk was flown, and immediately soared an immense height, following the falconer for more than half a mile, and pounced upon the quarry with almost inconceivable rapidity, in fact like a stone; the pigeon was struck to the ground, and rebounded with the blow'. From "Illustrated London News", 1850.