HARD WICKE 'S SCIENCE - GOSSIP. 



55 



An account of an eyrie situated on the Isle of Man 

 will perhaps interest the reader : — This eyrie has been 

 situated on the Isle of Man for many years. It is 

 placed on the west side of the island, on the very 

 highest part, the cliffs here rising from the water to a 

 perpendicular height of nearly 400 ft. ; this renders the 

 taking of the nest rather difficult. The eggs or young 

 ones were eagerly sought for year after year by a 

 gentleman or his gamekeeper, who resided on the 

 mainland. If the eggs were taken, they were 

 generally placed under a hen to be hatched. This 

 did not drive away the falcons, and they continued 

 to use the same nest every successive year, although 

 it was repeatedly robbed. When small game was 

 scarce, the Peregrine used to commit great havoc 

 among the rabbits with which the island is overstocked. 

 This rather pleased the keeper than otherwise, as the 

 rabbits are only a nuisance and in the way ; but on 

 the falcon (not content with rabbit) beginning to make 

 too frequent visits to the poultry-yard, one of them 

 was shot. This was in the year 1874. The other, 

 after a day or two spent in hovering round the isle, 

 as if loath to leave its old home, at last quitted the 

 place, and was not seen again until the spring of last 

 year (1876), when either this or another falcon was 

 observed surveying the old place of nidification, 

 looking if it had been disturbed, or perhaps looking if 

 thei-e were a more suitable spot to situate its nest. 

 After a few days spent in this way, and not seeming 

 to fix on any particular position, itdisappeared, and 

 had not been seen again in June, 1876. The Pere- 

 grine goes by the name of " Falcon Hawk" in the 

 Isle of Man. It is a much-liked bird by all who 

 reside there, and ""its familiar form, together with its 

 courageous nature, makes its loss seem more ap- 

 parent ; but of course it was allowed to stay as long 

 as it kept within bounds. 



There is (or was a few years since) an eyrie of 

 " Falcon Hawks " at Barra Head, which is much 

 easier of access than the last-mentioned. I am told 

 by the keeper that he captured one when it had but 

 recently learnt to use its wings. It had wandered in 

 a dense fog, and flown down into the court. It was 

 a noble bird, and so much did the keeper appreciate 

 its courageous spirit that he shot sea-birds for it, and 

 with these fed it for over a fortnight. Thinking then 

 that the falcon would best like its liberty, he gave it 

 its freedom. The eyrie on this isle is situated on the 

 south-west side, among some high cliffs ; but as it is 

 jDlaced very near their summit, and as the land rises 

 gradually to the cUffs, it is a very difficult matter to 

 get at it. They were seldom or never molested, but 

 allowed to bring up their broods in peace, and have 

 bred there for a great many years. 



The Peregrine is as elegant in both colour and 

 figure as he is in flight. The head and back part of 

 the neck, and a patch below the eye, are of a deep 

 blue-black ; the back and upper half of the wings a 

 darkish blue or slate-colour, while the other half of 



the wings is brown. The long ample tail is of a deep 

 dark blue, crossed or barred by still darker bands, 

 getting lighter towards the rump. The breast is of a 

 very light yellowish-brown, and the belly of a darker 

 yellowish-brown. The strong legs, large feet and 

 toes are of a bright, rich yellow, and the claws are 

 black. The base of the bill is yellow, but the beak 

 itself is a blue-black, getting deeper towards the 

 point. The tooth is very prominent in the upper 

 part of the bill. Altogether the Peregrine is a very 

 compact bird, and well fitted for its occupation. 

 The length of the female is from 17 to iS inches, 

 while the male is only from 14^ to 15J inches, or 

 about the length of a large female sparrow-hawk. 



T. W. Dealy. 



DAFFODILS. 



" Daffodils 

 That come before the swallow dares, and take 

 The wind of March with beauty." 



I VENTURE to send a few notes, which for the 

 last two or nearly three years I have made upoa 

 this most beautiful of spring flowering bulbous 

 plants. The genus Narcissus forms a distinct, and 

 very natural group belonging to the order Amarylli- 

 dacea. 



The common Daffodil {Narcissus Pseudo-Jiarcissus) 

 is distinguished by having the cylindrical cup, longer 

 than the funnel-shaped tube ; the filaments are 

 adnate (or lie) along the lower part of the tube, and 

 the style subulate {i.e. not broader than thick, com- 

 pared to an awl), and three-furrowed. It is charac- 

 terized by a perianth, or floral envelope of six seg- 

 ments, within which is a more or less campanulate 

 or bell-shaped corona, or crown. There are six 

 stamens, which, in the common wild Daffodil, are in 

 one set, and spring from the base of the corolla-tube ; 

 in most of the other species the stamens are divided 

 into two sets, and in some cases they are adherent to 

 the corolla-tube nearly its entire length, but invariably 

 become free at its mouth, and never adhere to the 

 mouth of the crown, as in other species of this 

 order. 



I had a boxful of these elegant flowers sent me 

 last March, and, being invalided at the time, I care- 

 fully watched the development of the flowers as they 

 stood by me in water. 



At first, the six stamens, with their long anthers, 

 entirely covered the pistil with its crown-like stigma ; 

 but as the latter ripened, it protruded far beyond, 

 and out of the way of the stamens ; therefore I con- 

 clude, that in its wild state it is not fertilized by the 

 pollen of its own individual stamens, but from that of 

 other flowers, carried by bees and other insects, 

 which, I presume, are for the most part the fertilizers 

 of this lovely flower. I would here remark that the 



