526 THE I'RAIRIE FATTON. 



hdUniii winds (lc\iiiusly nvt-r intersecting tains l)e(ls, "fock slides," while the 

 sun-kissed l)attlciiieiits of ri\en n>ck tower on either hand to the height f)i a 

 thousand feet: and the\- deaf theif own dehris in sheer walls of at least half 

 that height. Ahoiii tlie l>rinl< of the |)reri])iee a dozen I'^alcons are at play. It 

 is courting time and tlie l)irds are showing off. The females are the larger 

 hirds, hut it is their turn to sit in the boxes while the aspirants ])erform. 'i'he 

 dought\ males are not really contenditig — only renewing their \-ows as they 

 come hurtling out of the hea\-ens, screaming like all possessed and cutting 

 paral)olas whose acntcncss is a marvel c)f the unexjiected. The female screaks 

 in wild a])])ro\al, or takes a luiai herself because slie cannot contain her tierce 

 emotions. The rock walls resound with boisterous music, and the observer 

 feels as tlio he were witnessing the i)la\' of elemental forces — riotous, exultant, 

 unrestrained, tlie \cr\' i)assion of freedom and conquest. 



The h'alcon is king of birds and he knows it. Ferocity gleams in his eye 

 and menace fpii\-ers in his talims. Mastery is his element : his very wings flash 

 ci>nlidence: and caution is to him a thing unknown. The niuch-xaunted Eagle 

 is a cra\'en beside him, and nothing alfords the smaller Ijird gi eater delight 

 than to hector his lethargic kinsiuan. 



The Prairie Falcon is dnnl)tless something of a tease at l)cst. One ob- 

 serx'cd at Brook Lake made life miseral:)le for an inoffensive Red-tail wdio 

 chanced to occupv the same ledge: and he also took elaborate ]iains to chase 

 tlie Great Blue Herons out of bound. The Falcon woukl make repeated 

 dashes at the passing hulk, but he could hardly have intended bodily injury to 

 the TTerons, for he ])ermitted them to c\aile eacli time by ducking, and he 

 probably enjo\'ed suf¥icientl\- the l)ellow of mingled fear and rage which he 

 was able with each threat to elicit froiu the larger birds. 



The flight of the Prairie h'alcon is alwa_\'s easy aiicl graceful, being often- 

 est accomplished bv a succession of short wing be;its alternating with a sail. 

 The bird mounts rapidly, and if intent on distant hunting grounds, is, because 

 of its light coloration, soon lost to e\e. It is hardly |)ossible to exaggerate the 

 sw'ifttiess of the Falcon's flight thru comi);nison with that of an\- other l)ird. 

 I should sav that the W'liite-throated Swift alone excels it. 



^^'hiIe logging along thru a little coulee in the (")k.anogan country my 

 horse almost stepped on a Meadowlark which rose and immediately settled 

 .again within ten feet. Tliinking of a possible nest, I dismounted and turned 

 mv horse's head, ilisttu'bing ;is T did so another lark from my very feet, and 

 putting the first biril to fbght for some two or three rods further. At that 

 moment a Falcon flashed past my head with a quick Idlutff. and before I could 

 reco\'er from amazement, the Hawk was s|ieeding out of sight with the lark in 

 its talons. So instant was the I'alcon's swoop that F altho look-ing straight ;it 

 the scene, could not ha\-e told within ten feet where the Hawk annexed the lark. 



The bird makes little fuss o\er the capture of small game. It simi)l\" ma- 



