IN PURSUIT OF PRBY. 93 



term, gentile in the ordinary sense it still bears in the French lan- 

 guage, namely, that of graceful^ elegant. 



Our attention is generally first directed to the bird's presence 

 within sight, by signs of consternation among the pigeons, rooks, and 

 peewits, as they take the alarm, and rise suddenly from their autum- 

 nal feeding grounds. As these birds are then generally assembled 

 in large flocks, their movements attract the eye, and lead us to look 

 for the cause. 



If, for instance, we see the pigeons suddenly start from the roof 

 of a dovecot in considerable alarm, but wheel close round the build, 

 ings, instead of mounting in the air, or flying boldly away, we may 

 look overhead with a good chance of seeing the peregrine in the act of 

 reconnoitering, by passing over the premises at a considerable height, 

 and slowly. Her beautiful pointed wings will be finely shewn 

 against the clear sky of an autumnal morning. So long as they 

 keep near home, the pigeons are perfectly safe ; but if any stranger 

 belonging to another farmstead, should venture to break away, or if 

 any of the inexperienced young should happen to fly wide on their 

 first alarm, she will not fail to stoop, and will probably secure her 

 prey. There is never the slightest danger to chickens or other 

 poultry from such visits, as the invader is heedless of objects on the 

 ground. I have seen a large brood of chicks reared from the egg to 

 maturity, where five peregrine falcons of mine were regularly allowed, 

 in their turns, to fly at large. They never molested the poultry, 

 nor were at all dreaded by the parent hen as they passed over her 

 brood, hungry and ready to pursue anything on the wing. Had we 

 thrown a chicken into the air, its fate would have been instantaneous ; 

 and chanticleer himself would most likely receive his death-blow if 

 thrown aloft before a falcon, or even a hungry tercel. To young 

 poultry, the sparrow-hawk, on the other hand, is sometimes a mis- 

 chievous enemy ; and will frequently carry off" young pigeons from 

 the roof, or from the very threshold of the door. On her appear- 

 ance, the pigeons act very differently, and seek refuge at once up in 

 the air by speed of wing, for the sparrow-hawk will not follow far, 

 nor attempt to seize a prey at any great height from the ground, al- 

 though she will often soar aloft for mere amusement. 



In calm weather, and if the falcon does not stoop from above, but 

 commences the chase on a level with a flock of pigeons sprung from 

 a stubble or field of new-sown wheat, I believe they will generally 

 escape in safety to the dovecot, or even rise higher in the air tlian 



