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Hawes, Joel, D.D.

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Nave Topical Bible
• Night Hawk
• Hawk
Thompson Chain Reference
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American Tract Society
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Easton's Bible Dictionary
• Night-Hawk
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Fausset Bible Dictionary
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Holman Bible Dictionary
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Hastings' BibleDictionary
• Night-Hawk
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King James Dictionary
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Morrish Bible Dictionary
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• Hawk, Night
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Smith Bible Dictionary
• Night-hawk
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Webster Dictionary
• Sea Hawk
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• Hawking
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Watson's Theological Dictionary
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• Night-Hawk
Encyclopedias
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
• Black Hawk
• Edward Hawke, Baron Hawke
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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
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• Night-Hawk
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia
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• Night-Hawk
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia
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• Hawks, Cicero Stephen, D.D.
• Hawks, Francis Lister, D.D.
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The Nuttall Encyclopedia
• Hawk-Eye State
• Hawke, Lord
The Jewish Encyclopedia
• Hawk
Lexicons
• דַּיָּה
• נֵץ , נֵץ
• תַּחְמָס

(נֵוֹ, nets, from its swift flight; Sept. lipaa; Vulg. accipiter), an English name in an altered form of the old word fawk or falk, and in natural history representing several genera of raptorial birds; as does the Arabic naz, and no doubt, also, the Hebrew nets, a term expressive of strong and rapid flight, and therefore highly appropriate to the hawk: the similarity of the Latin name nisus is worthy of notice. The hawk is noticed as an unclean bird (Leviticus 11:16 : Deuteronomy 14:15), and as "stretching her wings toward the south" (Job 39:26) — an expression which has been variously understood as referring either to the migratory habits of the bird, one species alone being an exception to the general rule in this respect (Pliny, 10:9); or to its molting, and seeking the warmth of the sun's rays in consequence (Bochart, Hieroz. 3, 9); or, lastly, to the opinion prevalent in ancient times, that it was the only bird whose keen eye could bear the direct rays of the sun (Elian, H. A. 10, 14). The hawk, though not migratory in all countries, is so in the south of Europe and in parts of Asia. It was common in Syria and the surrounding countries. In Egypt one species was regarded as sacred, and frequently appears on the ancient monuments. Western Asia and Lower Egypt, and consequently the intermediate territory of Syria and Palestine, are the habitation or transitory residence of a considerable number of species of the order Raptores, which, even including the shortest-winged, have great powers of flight, are remarkably enterprising, live to a great age, are migratory, or followers upon birds of passage, or remain in a region so abundantly stocked with pigeon and turtle-dove as Palestine, and affording such variety of ground to hunt their particular prey, abounding as it does in mountain and forest, plain, desert, marsh, river, and sea-coast. (See NIGHT-HAWK).

Falcons, or the "noble" birds of prey used for hawking, have-for many ages been objects of great interest, and still continue to be imported from distant countries. The Falco communis, or peregrine falcon, is so generally diffused as to occur even in New Holland and South America. As a type of the genus, we may add that it has the two foremost quill-feathers of almost equal length, and that when the wings are closed they nearly reach the end of the tail. On each side of the crooked point of the bill there is an angle or prominent tooth, and from the nostrils backwards a black streak passes beneath the eye and forms a patch on each side of the throat, giving the bird and its congeners a whiskered and menacing aspect. Next we may place Falco Aroeris, the sacred hawk of Egypt, in reality the same as, or a mere variety of the peregrine. Innumerable representations of it occur in Egyptian monuments, in the character of Horhat, or bird of victory; also an emblem of Re, the Sun, and numerous other divinities (Sir J. G. Wilkinson's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians, 2nd series). The hobby, Falco subbuteo, is no doubt a second or third species of sacred hawk, having similar whiskers. Both this bird and the tractable merlin, Falco cesalon, are used in the falconry of the inferior Moslem landowners of Asiatic Turkey. Besides these, the kestril, Falco tinnunculus, occurs in Syria, and Falco tinnunculoides, or lesser kestril, in Egypt; and it is probable that both species visit these two territories according to the seasons. To these we may add the gerfalcon, Falco gyrfalco, which is one third larger than the peregrine: it is imported from Tartary, and sold at Constantinople, Aleppo, and Damascus. The great birds fly at antelopes, bustards, cranes, etc.; and of the genus Astur, with shorter wings than true falcons, the goshawk, Falce palumbarius, and the falcon gentil, Falco gentilis, are either imported, or taken in their nests, and used to fly at lower and aquatic game. It is among the above that the seven species of hunting hawks enumerated by Dr.. Russell must be sought; though, from the circumstance that the Arabic names of the birds alone were known to him, it is difficult to assign their scientific denominations. The smaller and less powerful hawks of the genus Nrisus are mostly in use on account of the sport they afford, being less fatiguing, as they are employed to fly at pigeons, partridges, quails, pterocles, katta, and other species of ganga. There are various other raptorial birds, not here enumerated, found in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt. (See EAGLE); (See GLEDE); (See KITE); (See OSPREY); (See VULTURE).

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