Birds of Britain 



the wild and rugged headland which forms its home, so 

 that in spite of its occasional depredations on young and 

 sickly lambs, it is unworthy of the persecution to which it 

 is subjected. Scattered pairs are still to be met with 

 round the rocky shores of England, while in the wilder 

 parts of Scotland and Ireland it is still comparatively 

 common. It chooses for its home some wild precipitous 

 crag exposed to the fury of the south-westerly gales, and 

 there it may be found at all times of year, ruling with 

 uncontested sway some couple of miles of coast, where it 

 feeds on any carrion or prey that can be found. 



Early in the spring the old nest — a mass of sticks, drift- 

 wood, seaweed, and heather, warmly lined with wool and 

 rabbit fleck — will be repaired, and at this season the male 

 is magnificent to watch as he courts his mate in beautiful 

 aerial flight. Early in March the eggs, three to five in 

 number, are laid ; they are bluish, densely speckled and 

 blotched with oHve brown. The female takes sole charge 

 of the duties of incubation, while her mate, sitting near, 

 keeps close watch and attacks with great boldness and fury 

 any other feathered marauder. 



Too often, however, their labours are in vain and man 

 steps in and destroys the nest ; but ever faithful to the old 

 home, many pairs continue ineffectually to breed year after 

 year near the same spot, till at last in their old age they 

 succumb to some winter's storm and the spot is the poorer 

 by the loss of one of our noblest birds. 



After the young are fledged they remain with their 

 parents for some months, till they are eventually driven 

 out to make way for the new brood of the following year. 



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