606 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



tridge. Plaving fairly settled down -with his quarry on the rock, I 

 could not help wondering at and admiring the collected ease and 

 cool composure with which he held his struggling captive (for it was 

 still alive) until death put an end to its sufferings. There was no 

 lacerating with its beak at the body of the poor and unfortunate pris- 

 oner, in order, as it were, to hasten its termination; no expanding 

 of the wing to maintain his equilibrium, although the last and dying 

 struggle of the bird caused him to quiver a little. All being over 

 now, with one foot resting upon his game and the other on the rock, 

 silent and motionless as a statue, the noble captor stood, with an in- 

 quiring eye, gazing at the now lifeless form of his reeking prey, seem- 

 ing to doubt the fact that it was already dead. But there was no 

 mistake. The blood, oozing from its mouth and Wounds, its body 

 doubtless pierced by the talons of the conqueror, already began to 

 trickle down the sides of the dark cliffs, dyeing the rocks in its 

 course. Satisfied at last that life was fairly extinct, an incision was 

 then made in the neck or shoulder of the victim, and into this the 

 falcon thrust his bill several times, and each time that it was with- 

 drawn it was covered with blood. This being done, and having 

 wrenched off the head, which he dropped, he then began not only to 

 pluck but to skin his food from the neck downward ; and, having 

 bared the breast, commenced a hearty meal by separating the flebh 

 from the sternum into portions, with as much apparent ease as if he 

 had been operating with the sharpest surgical instrument. I should 

 have liked well to have seen the end of the work thus begun ; but, 

 unfortunately, a slight movement on my part was detected by the 

 quick eye of the falcon, and my nearness was discovered. Having 

 gazed at me for a few, and only for a few, seconds, with an angry and 

 piercing scowl, mingled with surprise, he then rose, uttering a scream 

 so wild and so loud as to waken the echoes of the surrounding rocks; 

 while he himself with the remains of his feast, which he bore along 

 with him, rounded a point of the cliff and disappeared ; and there is 

 no doubt that he ended his repast in unmolested security." 



In 1854 Edward lost his valued friend Smith, by death, and he 

 mourned for him very deeply, as he was a man of wide culture, and 

 with a thorough appreciation of the character of Edward. Mr. 

 Edward was under the impression that people looked down upon 

 him and his work, because he was a poor shoemaker, and in this, of 

 course, he was right. But the clergyman treated him as one intelli- 

 gent man treats another. His loss, however, was greatly repaired 

 by the acquaintance of the Rev. Mr. Boyd, of Crimond, a few miles 

 off, also a naturalist, who had a high and appreciative regard for 

 him. The two clergymen had made various efforts to secure for 

 Edward some position in which he could live and give freer play to 

 the bent of his genius. But they failed. Mr. Boyd once proposed 

 that Edward should get up a series of rudimentary lectures on natu- 



