136 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



12. Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregriims, Gmel. 



Our first Peregrine caused great excitement on board. It 

 was a gorged bird, sleeping ofif a meal of Wild Duck on the 

 sands. My companions were quite sure it was a Greek 

 Partridge, a species we had seen a day or two before in 

 Alexandria, and really it was not easy at a distance to say 

 what it was. The Diabeyha was stopped, and " m.y noble, 

 generous Falcon " circumvented and slain, when she proved 

 to have inside her not only the Duck, but also some grain. 

 Duck and green peas would have been more proper, but 

 Ducks and grain were her fare on this occasion ; and the 

 explanation probably was, that the former had eaten the 

 latter before being herself eaten by the bird of prey.* It 

 was not so curious as finding a Partridge's &'g^ in a Pere- 

 grine's nest, or a rat's head in a Woodpigeon's. 



Our next one was shot in the act of carrying off a Pewit, 

 and the next had been making a heavy repast on locusts, 

 which did not surprise me, for I believe it is ordained that 

 almost all animals should help in keeping down the numbers 

 of this destructive pest, which in times of a great visitation 

 (fortunately rare) will come to a district in such appalling 

 clouds as to threaten absolute ruin to the poor fellaJieen. 

 This Falcon would seem to be commoner than the Lanner 

 in winter. Old " Tiercels " are said to be rare. 



13. Hobby, Fako sublmtco, Linn. 



I was shown an adult at M. Filliponi's, killed near 

 Damietta last September, which was the only one we came 

 across. 



"'In the autumn of 187 1, 1 was shown a Peregrine at the birdstuffer's 

 at Lydd which had overgorged itself, and been stoned. What its last 

 heavy repast may have been was not known, but a hare was found near 

 the spot with one of its eyes gouged out. 



