PEREGRINE FALCON. 361 



it is not very uncommon at this period on the higher Wolds, 

 where it feeds on the Stock Doves which are very common 

 there. In the majority of cases, however, these autumn 

 immigrants amongst the Falconidae leave the district (Holder- 

 ness) before the advent of the winter season. Two were 

 observed at Spurn on the return passage in the spring of 1898. 



An interesting anecdote is related of the Falcon at Flam- 

 borough by Mr. M. Bailey of that place. I quote Mr. Bailey's 

 words : — " Being on a cruise at sea on 31st March, .... 

 I saw something that might be interesting to you, that of 

 a fine Peregrine Falcon hawking after sea birds. It was 

 amusing to see him dart at the Guillemots as they sat or 

 floated on the sea. The moment the Hawk made a dash at 

 his prey, to his great disappointment, under water went the 

 Guillemot. I watched him for fifteen or twenty minutes, 

 but he never once appeared to touch the water. I was speak- 

 ing of this to the master of a fishing yawl, who told me that, 

 only a few days previously, when some miles distant from 

 land, he observed a Blackbird chased by a Peregrine Falcon. 

 It was so closely pursued by the Falcon that it took shelter 

 on board the yawl." 



On 25th October 1890, I watched a Peregrine coming in 

 off the sea at 10-30 a.m., and noticed it was carrying something 

 in its talons. It dropped the object, a bird probably, near 

 Redcar Pier, and flew past me within two hundred yards, 

 going in a southward direction. Mr. W. H. St. Quintin 

 states (MS.), that wild birds constantly come to his trained 

 Hawks in winter. One remained at Scampston most of the 

 winter of 1901-2. 



A very fine mature female, which the late W. W. Boulton 

 dissected, contained the remains of a Rock Pigeon, including, 

 amongst other portions, one entire foot and shank and a 

 few feathers. 



The local name on the north-west fells is Great Blue Hawk. 

 In Ryedale it is called Perry Hawk ; and Swainson gives the 

 terms Blue-backed Falcon and Duck Hawk as used in the 

 north of England. 



