358 « THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



{Zool. 1845, p. 1052), on the authority of J. Grey, that it 

 bred annually on Huntcliffe, in the early part of last century. 

 It also bred on Black Hambleton, which was the only locality 

 from which Colonel Thornton, as he assured Montagu, could 

 procure a Tercel (a male) that would kill ducks, although 

 he had tried many from other places. 



It is an unmistakable pleasure to be able still to claim 

 this noble bird as a resident. A pair or two bred almost 

 annually until 1879 in the stupendous cliffs of our coast at 

 Flamborough and Speeton, where its favourite prey, the Rock 

 Pigeon, is numerous, and occasionally a pair or two also breed 

 inland. 



The late J. Cordeaux stated that there were two eyries 

 at Flamborough in 1867, one of which was robbed by the 

 climbers. The other pair were more fortunate, and escaped 

 unmolested, the young birds getting off. 



On 3rd June 1876, Mr. W. Eagle Clarke was at Buckton 

 and Bempton, between Flamborough Head and Filey, and 

 saw in the possession of the climbers three young in whitish 

 down, which had been taken on 30th May. They had come 

 across them quite by accident in the highest portion of the 

 cliff ; there was not the slightest sign of a nest, the young 

 being simply on a ledge about four feet wide. On visiting 

 the cliffs he saw both the old birds, the female leaving the 

 ledge from which the young were taken and flying round 

 uttering a very plaintive note. The climbers wished him to 

 purchase these young birds, but this he declined to do, hoping, 

 as he had heard them complain about the trouble of feeding 

 them, and also some mention of putting them again on 

 the eyrie, that they might yet be restored to the old birds ; 

 however, they eventually found their way to Barnsley. In 

 the same year another brood was taken by Edward Hodgson, 

 and came into the possession of the Rev. G. D. Armitage, 

 who at that period hawked with Major Brooksbank of Middle- 

 ton, A pair of old birds returned to the cliffs in the spring 

 of 1879, when I regret to say one of them was ruthlessly killed 

 and the eyrie consequently deserted. Occasional attempts 

 to re-occupy it have been made at intervals, but without 



