Falcandus, Hugo, a distinguished historian, lived in the r2th century. According to tlie Benedictine authors of the work L' Art de Verifier les Dutes, he was a native of France (his original name being Fulcan- dus or Foucault) ; accompanied his patron Stephen de la Pcrclie, archbishop of Palermo, and grand-uncle of king William II, to Sicily-, and finally became abbot of St. Denys, at Paris.. Gibbon is of opinion that he was a native of Sicily. His celelirated work, Historia Siciila, which procured for him the surname of the Si- cilian Tacitus, was published in 1189 or 1190, and is of great importance for the Church historj' of that pe-i- od.— Wetzer u. Welte, Kirch.-Lex. iv, 885. (A. J. S.)
Falcon, a bird of the hawk tribe, anciently trained to assist in hunting, and still used in the East for the same purpose. Dr. Thomson {Land and Book, i, 309 sq.) tluis speaks of the practice in Palestine: "The beg at the castle of Tilniin, which we are now ap- proaching, always keeps several of these large falcons on their perches in his grand reception-hall, where they are tended with the utmost care. I liave been out on the mountains to see them hunt, and it is a most exciting scene. The emirs sit on their horses,
Large Falcon.
holding the birds on their wrists, and the woods aro filled with their retainers, beating about and shouting, to start up and drive toward them the poor partridges. When near enough, tlie felcon is launched from the hand, and swoops down upon his victim like an eagle hasting to the prej'. After he has struck his quarry, the falcon flies a short distance, and lights on the ground, amid the redoubled shouts of the sportsmen. The keeper darts forward, secures both, cuts the throat of the partridge, and allows his captor to suck its blood. This is his reward. Notwithstanding the exhilara- tion of the sport, I could never endure the falcon him- self. There is something almost Satanic in his eye, and in the ferocity with wliicli he drinks tlto warm life-blood of his innocent victim. I once saw some men of Tortosa catching the Syrian quail with a small hawk. This was done on foot, each sportsman carry- ing his bird on the right wrist, and beating the buslies with a stick held in liis left hand. These quails are less tlian the American ; arc migrator}-, coming here in early spring, and passing on to the north. They hide under the bushes, and will not rise on the wing unless forced to do so by a dog, or by the hunter him- self. I was surprised to see how quickly and surely the little hawk seized his game. His reward also was merely the blood of the l)ird. I do not know whether or not the Jews in ancient days were acquainted with falconry, but David complains that Saul hunted for his blood as one doth hunt for a partridge in the mountains (1 Sam. xxvi, 20) ; and this hunting of the same bii'd on these mountains, and giving their Mood to the hawk, reminds one of tlie sad complaint of the persecuted son of Jesse. In the neighborhood of Aleppo the smaller folcon is taught to assist the sports- man to capture the gazelle. Neither horse nor grey- hound can overtake these fleet creatures on the open desert, and therefore tiie Arabs have taught the hawk to fasten on their forehead, and blind them by inces- sant flapping of their wings. Bewildered and terri- fied, they leap about at random, and are easil}' cap- tured. They are also trained to attack the bustard in the same region. This bird is about as large as a tur- key, and highly prized by the lovers of game ; but, as they keep on the vast level plains, where there is noth- ing to screen the cautious hunter, it is almost impos- sible to get within gunshot of them. When thej' rise in the air, the little falcon flies u-p from beneath and fastens on one of their wings, and then both come whirling over and over to the ground, when the hunter quickly seizes the bustard, and delivers his brave bird from a position not particularly safe or comfortable. They will even bring down the largest eagle in the
FALCONER
470
FALL OF MAN
same way ; but in this desperate game they are some- times toni to pieces by tlic insulted majesty of the feathered kingdom." See Hawk.
Small Falcon.
Falconer, Thomas, A.jNI., a Church of England divine, was born at Bath in 1771 ; was made fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1794, and died in 1839. He published The Resurrection of our Saviour (1798) : — Eight Discourses on the alleged Dissonances in the Gospels, in reply to Evanson (q. v.) (Bampton Lec- ture, Oxf. 1811, 8vo) : — The Case of Eusehius of Ccnsa- rea (Lond. 18-2-2, 8vo) ; and other critical and historical writings.
Faldistorium or Paid-stool, a stool folding like a camp-stool, formerly used in the inthronization of bishops, and in coronations, both for sitting and kneel- ing. In modern times the name is (improperly) given to a small stool at which, in some English churches, the Litany .is read. In those churches in which it is used it is generally placed in the middle of the choir, near the steps of the communion-table. The name is probably from faUen, plicare, and stoiil, sedes. — Mas- kell, Monum. Eitualia, iii, 86; Siegel, Alterthumer, ii, 453.