PEREGRINE FALCON. 61 



the tender shoots and leaves of the plant, and thus destroy- 

 ing the grouse's food ; to the tape-worm ; to shot which has 

 wounded hut not killed ; and perhaps to other things hesides. 

 It may be, I douht not, correctly referred to any or to all 

 of these. Of this, however, there appears no question, that, 

 from whatever cause it spring, it is propagated. A diseased 

 parent produces a diseased child. Now I say that when 

 every hawk is killed upon a large manor, the balance of 

 Nature is forgotten, or ignored ; and that Nature will not 

 overlook an insult. She would have kept her wilds healthy ; 

 destroy her appointed instruments, and bewai-e of her 

 revenge ! " 



The Peregrine Falcon is found throughout Europe, with 

 the exception of Spitsbergen and Iceland, and even in the 

 latter there is a possibility of its accidental occurrence. Mr. 

 Gillett believed that he saw this species in Nova Zembla 

 (Ibis, 1870, p. 304). In northern Lapland, Wolley found 

 it breeding higher in the mountains than Falco gijrfalco. 

 It can be traced across Siberia, southward of lat. 64° N. to 

 the Sea of Ochotsk, being, according to Dr. von Midden- 

 dorff, a bird of the forest zone. It also occurs in Japan, and 

 thence southward through China to Manilla, whence there is 

 an example in the Norwich Museum. Motley obtained it in 

 Borneo, and Horsfield gives it from Sumatra. The Leyclen 

 Museum contains specimens from Java, where, according to 

 Professor Schlegel, it is rare, though it breeds in the island 

 on trees (as has been said) and often preys on the Jungle- 

 fowl, In this locality, in the Philippines, and in China, the 

 true Peregrine Falcon meets the more southern form, Falco 

 melanogenys, originally described from Australia, in Avhich 

 country it is universally distributed, and is distinguishable 

 from the northern bird by the more ruddy tints and the 

 closer barring of its lower plumage. In India, where two 

 other nearly-allied forms, F. peregrinator and F. atriceps, 

 also occur, F. peregrinus appears to be confined to the 

 north-western parts ; and though Mr. Hume considers that 

 it probably breeds within the limits of that country, Mr. 

 Jerdon is of the contrary opinion. This last ornithologist 



