FALCOXID.E. 45 



heavy to be carried off dii'ectly, lie forces obliquely 

 towards the ground, sometimes a hundred feet from the 

 place where it w^as seized, to kill it and devour it on the 

 spot. 



Under other circumstances, when the female Falcon 

 conies within sight of her cpiarry, she Ijounds upwards, 

 every stroke of the wings producing a j^erpendicular 

 'leap, as if she were climbing those gigantic stairs into 

 which ^"^ature moulds her basaltic rocks, and when she 

 has " got the sky" of her prey to a sufficient height for 

 gaining the necessary impetus, her wings shiver for a 

 moment, as she works herself into perfect command and 

 poise. Then, prone she dashes, with so much velocity 

 that the impression of her path remains on the eye, in 

 the same manner as that of the shooting meteor or the 

 flashing lightning. The observer fancies that there is a 

 torrent of Falcon rushing for fathoms through the air. 

 The stroke is as unerring as the motion is fleet. If it 

 take effect in the body, the bird is trussed, and the hunt 

 is over ; but if a wdiig only is broken, the maimed bird is 

 allowed to flutter to the earth, and another is marked for 

 the collision of death. 



The Falcon s command of the air is truly wonderful ; 

 a few strokes of its powerful wing will send it up till it 

 is hardly visible, or bring it from the top of its flight to 

 within a short distance from the ground. At times it 

 will ride motionless, as if anchored in the sky, and anon, 

 with hardly any perceptible movement of the wings, 

 shoot down with the rapidity of an arrow. The collision 

 with their prey is terribly effective. It is no slight force 

 which can break a wing, strike off' a head, or burst a 

 bird asunder, when it is not merely suspended in the 

 air l)ut in rapid motion, away from the striker. If the 

 Falcon misses, w^e need not wonder that the game escapes 

 before its pursuer recovers himself — {Mudie.) 



The Peregrine Falcon usually builds a nest amongst 

 nearly inaccessible rocks on the sea-coast, but sometimes 

 selects an inland station. The nest is a bulky structure, 

 composed of sticks and dried plants, and in it the female 

 lays three or four eggs, of a dull light red colour, with 

 darker spots. 



D 3 



