158 LAND BIRDS 



called after her loudly and spread his wings a dozen 

 times to follow. But the plunge was too awful; he 

 settled back in the nest, pulled his head down into his 

 shoulders, shut his eyes, and tried to forget he was 

 hungry. The meaning was plain enough. She was try- 

 ing to teach him to fly, but he was afraid." ^ 



356. DUCK HAWK. — Falco peregrinus anatum. 



Family : The Falcons, Hawks, Ivigles, etc. 



Length: Male 15.50-18.00 ; female 18.00-20.00. 



Adults: Top of head sooty black, sides of head and neck blackish, in 



sharp contrast to white throat ; rest of upper parts slate-color ; 



lighter on the rump, dimly barred with blackish ; under parts except 



throat and breast deep buff, spotted or barred with blackish ; tail 



black, barred with light gray and tipped with white. 

 Young: Upper parts blackish, feathers edged with rust}^ ; under parts 



chestnut, heavily streaked with dark. 

 Geographical Distribution : America, south to Chili. In California, 



occurs coastwise. 

 California Breeding Range : Breeds locally in the mountainous regions 



as far south as latitude 36°. 

 Breeding Season : March and April. 

 Nest : On a narrow edge of a cliff ; a few sticks to keep the eggs from 



rolling off. 

 Eggs: 3 or 4 ; creamy, tinged with brown, spotted and blotched with 



shades of brown. Size 2.10 X 1.68. 



" This species," says Mr. F. ]M. Chapman, " is the 

 noble peregrine of falconry. It would be difficult to 

 imagine a bird more highly endowed witli the qualities 

 which make the ideal bird of prey. Its strength of wing 

 and talon is equalled by its courage. No bird flies more 

 swiftly than the Duck Hawk. Even teal, those winged 

 bullets, cannot escape it. No bird is more daring. I 



1 W. J. Long in " School of the Woods." 



