Northern Observations of Inland Birds 103 



At no great distance from the town of Peebles there is 

 a crag from which the Kings of Scotland used at one time 

 to obtain their peregrines. The birds still breed there, 

 and I have heard that the old law reserving them for the 

 King's Falconer has never been rescinded. 



Though this falcon obtains most of its food by descend- 

 ing headlong from its look-out tower, the birds neverthe- 

 less indulge in long flights, covering an enormous 

 distance in a surprisingly short space of time. When 

 travelling thus they proceed in a switchback course, 

 now skimming the heather, then mounting rapidly to an 

 altitude of three or four hundred feet, then down again. 

 In this way they encircle the range, passing so swiftly 

 that they may escape the eye of even the keenest observer, 

 or be mistaken in the distance for passing ring dove or 

 curlew. A peregrine seen travelling in this way over a 

 North Riding moor may conceivably be resident in 

 Cumberland, and though he may strike at game which 

 rises temptingly, he very rarely descends to feed upon it 

 when taking a jaunt of this kind. He, indeed, is the 

 peregrine which flies through a pack of grouse, wounding 

 several of them and never looking round — the peregrine 

 exploring the home range of another ! 



