THE PEKEilRINE FALCON. 9-3 



Wilson enumerates no less tlian ten varieties, dependent eliietly on ago, sex, and eduntrj. 

 It is found, more or less abimdantly, tln-ougliout the whole of Europe, princiijally in tlie 

 moimtain districts, in North, and probably South America, and in New Holland, dwelling 

 in the clefts of rocks, especially such as are exposed to the noon-day sun. It breeds upon 

 the clifis in several parts of England, but appears to be more common in Scotland. " We 

 are occasionally visited," says a naturalist, " by the peregrine falcon, who makes sad 

 havoc in the poidtry-yard when he appears here. There is a nest of these birds always 

 built m the maccessible rocks of the Findhorn, a village and seaport of Scotland. Indeed, 

 in the good old days of hawking, when a gentleman was known by his hawk and hoimd, 

 and even a lady seldom went abroad without a hawk on her gloved hand, the Findhorn 

 hawks were always in great request." Mr. Selby, when describing the birds observed in 

 the vicinity of St. Abb's Head, says, " that the eyrie of the peregrine falcon had long 

 been estabhshed there. A pair of old ones and a pair of young ones were seen at this 

 visit. It was from this locality that the late Mr. Baird, of Newbyth, usually obtained his 

 cast of hawks, for each of which he gave the persons who undertook the perilous task of 

 scalmg the precipice, one guinea." The castings of these birds Mr. Selby noticed were 

 scattered in great profusion upon the tops of the cliifs ; those examined were almost 

 wholly composed of the bones and feathers of gulls and other aquatic fowl ; others were 

 mixed with the feathers of partridges, and the bones of rabbits and yomig hares. It is 

 stated by Sii- Jokii Sebright, that numbers of them have taken up their abode on West- 

 minster Abbey, and on other churches in London, and made great havoc among the tame 

 pigeons. 



The food of the peregrine falcon consists principally of small birds, especially of the 

 gallinaceous order ; but they scruple not to attack the larger species, and sometimes give 

 battle even to the kite. " The peregrine," says the naturahst just quoted, " seems often 

 to strike down bu-ds for his amusement ; and I have seen one knock down and kill two 

 rooks, who were unlucky enough to cross his flight, without taking the trouble to look at 

 them after they fell. In the plain country near the sea-shore, the peregrine frequently 

 pursues the peewits and other birds that frequent the coast. The golden plover, too, is 

 a favom-ite prey, and affords the hawk a severe chase before he is caught. I have seen 

 a pursuit of this kind last for nearly ten minutes, the plover tviming and doubhng like a 

 hare before greyhomids, at one moment darting hke an arrow into the air, high above 

 the falcon's head ; at the next, sweeping round some bush or headland — but in vain. 

 The hawk, with steady, relentless flight, without seeming to hurry herself, never gives up 

 the chase, till the poor plover, seemingly quite exhausted, slackens her pace, and is caught 

 by the hawk's talons in mid-air, and carried off to a convenient hillock or stone to be 

 quietly devoured." 



Audubon says — " The flight of this bird is of astonishing rapidity. It is scarcely ever 

 seen sailing, mdess after being disappointed in its attempt to secure the prey which it 

 has been pursuing ; and even at such times it rises with a broad, spiral circuit, to attain 

 a sufficient elevation to enable it to reconnoitre a certain space below. . . ■ The 

 search is often performed with a flight resembling that of a tame pigeon, until, perceiving 

 an object, it redoubles its flappmgs, and pursues the fugitive with a rapidity scarcely 

 to be conceived. It follows and nears the timorous quarry at every turn and back- 

 cutting which the latter attempts. Arriving within a few feet of the prey, the falcon 

 is seen protruding his powerful legs and talons to their full stretch. His wings are for 

 a moment ahnost closed ; the next instant he grapples the prize, which, if too weighty 

 to be carried off directly, he forces obliquely toward the ground, sometimes a hundred 



