Northern Observations of Inland Birds 197 



in Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire than elsewhere 

 in Scotland. 



The flight of the woodpigeon is powerful and swift, 

 and I have more than once mistaken a peregrine for one 

 of these birds. Shooting recently in Perthshire I was 

 waiting at a wood end when a peregrine flew over my head 

 within easy range. Mistaking the bird for a ring dove, 

 I threw up my gun, but realizing the mistake at once 

 lowered the barrels. The keeper, standing near, asked 

 me when he came up a few minutes later : '* Why didn't 

 you shoot, sir ? " On my replying : ''I mistook him 

 for a woodpigeon,'' the glance I received clearly indicated 

 that it might have been a good deal more discreet, though 

 less truthful, to have said : "I mistook him for a pere- 

 grine ! " Either statement would have been quite plausible 

 under the circumstances. 



Even wild birds are apt to mistake the swoop of the 

 ring dove, when the bird appears suddenly and unex- 

 pectedly, for that of the peregrine, and will scatter in all 

 directions, though they immediately realize their mistake. 

 The speed of the ring dove, especially when the bird is 

 travelling down wind, is very deceptive, and even an 

 experienced shot is more than apt to clip off no more 

 than a few tail feathers, but let it be understood that the 

 speed of the peregrine under the same conditions is 

 infinitely greater. I remember one evening seeing one 

 of these falcons fly down the mountain side and across 

 the loch with a gale behind him, and the effect was abso- 

 lutely meteoric. The bird did it apparently in frivolous 

 mood in order to scare the large flocks of wild fowl out 

 on the lake, and certainly he succeeded. He had covered 

 the distance of a mile in a few seconds, and was right in 

 their midst before they could even rise, yet he did not 

 strike — possibly too close to the water. In another few 

 seconds, ere the lubbardly wild fowl could fairly grasp 



