THE PRAIRIE FALCON. 



525 



until they are anchored, as it were, to land by the strong chains of the repro- 

 ductive instinct. The Prairie Falcon is likewise a dweller of the blue serene. 

 The level i>rairies and the rolling hills are his ocean, and he is a bold corsair, 

 snatching his prey at will from the crested billow (of soil i and caring nothing 

 for the clumsy men-of-war sa\-e to spurn them. But when spring comes on 

 then he nuist seek some frowning clitf wliich fronts the prairie wave: and 

 then he must place himself and those dearer tlian self at the mercy of the 

 curious public, whether friendly or hostile. 



The Prairie Falcon is, after the Sparrow Hawk, the commonest l:>ird of 



Tiihcn at Brook Lake. 



Photo bv till' Author. 



A\ .WCIENT STKO.XGHOLD. 



NESTI.XC SITES OF THE PRAIRIE FALCON. NEW AND OLD. ABOUND ALONG THE FACE OF THIS WALL. 



prey in eastern Washington. All undisturbed rock-walls and cliffs are likely 

 to harbor one or more pairs of them, but the course of the Columbia River 

 and its tributaries marks the center of their abundance. The Grand Coulee 

 is full of them: the Okanogan A^alley has its share; while the canon of the 

 Snake and the Columbia River gorge below Wallula are not forgotten. 



All the traditions of chi\alr}-, sa\e gentleness, and all the associations of 

 romance gather about this bird. In speed, in grace, in prowess, and in skill, 

 he is the peer of an}-: and in the choice of nesting sites he is excelled by none. 

 Picture, if you please, a granite cleft in Okanogan County. The road at the 



