THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 



The peregrine falcon, the best known and most remarkable of its tribe, derives its 

 name from its periodical migrations, the Latin word peregrinus meaning a wanderer. It 

 is only, however, of late years that it has been well understood, several other species 

 haxdng been formerly confomided with it ; while mere variations of sex, age, and climate, 

 were regarded as distinct species. To M. Bechstein, and to Mr. Wilson, of Edinburgh, 

 we are greatly mdebted for our acquaintance with the history of this bird, and the 

 changes it undergoes. 



It is not surprising that different ages of this bird should have been rega,rded as dis- 

 tinct species by those who had no opportunity of watclung the progress of its growth. 

 At every successive change the plumage undergoes a fresh modification, not in colour 

 alone, but even in the distribution of the marldngs. It is oiJy at the third or fourth 

 moulting that it assumes anything like permanence of character ; and even after that 

 time, it gradually becomes lighter as the bird advances m age. In the first year it is 

 generally of a Ught brown on the upper parts, with an ash-colored tinge on the middle 

 of the feathers. Its head and neck are whitish, with a tinge of red and numerous 

 dark brown spots ; its throat and under parts dirty white, with longitudinal spots of 

 brown ; its iris bro^vn ; its cere — the membrane wliich covers the base of the bill — 

 is of a bluish honi-colour, and its legs are yellow. As it advances in age, the upper 

 •parts become grayish brown, with hghter transverse bands ; and the longitudinal 

 markings of the under surface are converted into transverse bars. This conversion takes 

 place in a gradual mamicr, and affords a certam means of distinguishing the young from 

 the adult bird, not only in the present species, but throughout the hawk and falcon 

 tribes. 



At the same time there is developed in the peregrine falcon a character, wliich is not 

 very distinct in the young bird, and is somewhat more faintly marked in the female than 

 in the male. It consists of a broad black streak passing downwards obliquely over the 

 cheeks from the inner angle of each eye, and giving to the bird a very peculiar expres- 

 sion of countenance. When perfectly full-grown, the beak is lead-coloured, with a darker 

 tip ; the cere has a gi-eenish tinge ; and the iridcs are yellow. The upper parts of the 

 head and neck are of a bluish black ; the back has a lighter tinge of lead-colour, crossed 

 by scarcely pcrccjitible blackish bars ; and the black whiskers are strongly developed. 

 The quill-feathers of the wings and tail are of a dusky black ; the latter crossed by nu- 

 merous ash-coloured bars, and yellowish white at the tip. All the under parts are white ; 

 a series of transvei-se brownish bars commence on the lower part of the breast and extend 

 to the tail ; the upper part of the breast is marked by a few longitudinal streaks ; but 

 the throat is entirely free. 



Such arc the more usual modifications of colour in the peregi-ine falcon, of wliich Mr. 



• FaKo rt'i-cgiiiuii*. 



