Falcon. A bird of prey, once much esteemed as an auxiliary of the savage arts of man in destroying the feathered race. Falcons were formerly tamed and trained, just as pointer-dogs are at present trained; and hawking, or falconry, was, to a certain class of minds, as interesting as shooting or hunting is to the same class in our day. They are carnivorous, the beak hooked, the head covered with feathers, and the legs and feet scaly.