70 



THE MUSEUM. 



From photo loaned liy VViird's Natural 8oienc-e E>tal)lisli'>iriit The piibli-^liei- of t lie Museum 

 has just secured valuable machinery for cuttiugaud polishiug shells and minerals. 



see nothing but a scant growth of long 

 fine grass, but on gaining a foot-hold 

 and kneeling down for safety I beheld 

 a fine set of three eggs laid on a dry 

 sandy bed, from which the grass had 

 apparently been pulled aw^ay, no nest 

 whatever, a few bones and dirty featli- 

 ers, particles of small land shells, con- 

 stituted the home of this beautiful 

 Falcon. 



The ledge measured 30 inches at its 

 widest part and in extreme length 

 about 4 feet; though it tapered off 

 somewhat acutely at cither ciul. The 

 female who had been very vcjcifcr- 

 ous during my visit, was joined by the 

 male and once or twice they came with 

 a rush towards the nesting site, but 

 would check themselves abruptly and 

 sail upwards. My friends could have 



shot them easily but at my instigation 

 they were not molested. Even had 

 we shot them they would inevita- 

 bly have fallen into the swift current 

 beneath and probably have been lost. 

 I sent the eggs up by means of a 

 string attached to my collecting case, 

 and was soon after them. This was my 

 first take of this species and I naturally 

 felt proud of them, though subsecjuently 

 they were found to be far advanced in 

 incubation and the lusty young Pereg- 

 renis were remo.yed with great diffi- 

 culty. They had the usual rich red 

 brown cloudings and mottling, and one 

 had several large markings of blue- 

 gray. The average measurement being 

 2. 15 X 1.73. 



William W. Wake. 



Knoxville, Tenn. 



