VOL. X. 



The Oologist. 



ALBION, N. y., JUNE, 18Ji3. 



NO. 



Taking the Eggs of the Peregrine Falcon. 



Although tiie Diu-k Hawk visit.s an- 

 nually almost all pails of the United 

 States, still native t-et.s of its eggs are 

 by no means frequently seeni'etl and 

 hence are often wanting even among 

 large collections. Some collectors eon- 

 tent themselves with injported sets, 

 which are more easily obtained than 

 those collected within the United States 

 and the eggs exhibited in our public 

 museums, etc., are usually of this type. 

 Nevertheless, sets of Duck Hawk's eggs 

 are occasionally found within our own 

 boundaries— as is demonstrated by the 

 I fact that two beautiful sets have been 

 ' secured lliis year by the writer and 

 some friends. This bird builds its nest 

 in places that are almost inaccessible 

 and the taking of the eggs is usually at- 

 tended by all the ditliculties and dan- 

 gers consequent upon cliff-climbing. 

 To render obvious some of these ditli- 

 culties, we will give a brief account of 

 the taking of the hrst set secured this 

 year. 



The Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus), 

 otherwise known as the "Great Footed 

 Hawk," is itself a most interesting l)ird. 

 Abnost all ornithological writers have 

 dwelt with admiration upon its won- 

 derfid power, its rapid llight, and its 

 great boldness and courage. It is, 

 moreover, a beautiful bird, i)lendingin 



Its plumage bluisii-slate and ash gray 

 colors with darker tints, and sinnving 

 in front a white neck mottled with dark 

 longitudinal lines and a whitish breast 

 and belly marked throughout witii 

 dark IjrowH transverse bars. The 

 l)lumage of the two sexes is ver}' sinii- 

 , lar but tiie female is* smaller than the 

 ■ male. The Duck Hawk is nowiiere a 

 common sijccies. It resides throughout 

 the year in the Northeast aii<l is m<jre 



frequently observed in the neighbor- 

 hood of the sea coast than in the inter- 

 ior. It is a terrc r to water-towl which 

 constitute a large j)ortion of its pri-y, 

 b\it they are by no means its only food. 

 The swoop of this falcon, when rushing 

 upon its quany is remarkable iioth iov 

 rapidity and force, with almost in- 

 conceivable velocity it pursues its prey 

 through all its turnings and windings, 

 and when within a few feet of its in- 

 tended victim protrudes its legs and 

 tah)ns to their full extent, almost closes 

 its wing:? for a moment, and the next 

 instant grasps the jjrize and bears it 

 away. Sometimes the prey soars into 

 the air, and seeks safety by t)-ying to 

 keep above the falcon, until both are 

 lost to ordinary sight, but the falcon 

 soon gets uppermost and stiikes its 

 victim at last. The strength of this 

 falcon is shown Uy the ease with which 

 it can carry through the air a bird of 

 fidly its own weight. The cry of the 

 Duck Hawk is similar to that of the 

 Sparrow Hawk only much louder and 

 more intense. Tiie i)ree<ling season is 

 very early. Its nest — which is built on 

 ledges of high rocks, either along the 

 seacoast or on inland precii)iee-; and 

 ravines — is begun about the lirsl of 

 April, and is coristrueted Largely of 

 twigs, with some grasses and sonuj- 

 times seaweed. The eggs, wliieli are 

 from two to four in nuinlier are almost 

 spherical in form, and in eohir are reil- 

 dish-brown covered will) iiiimi rons 

 minute spots and blotches of darker 

 shade. 



Mt. Tom, in Hampshire Coiinty. 

 Mass. has doubtless i)een tin bilh- 

 plaee of many broods of yoiiiig I>uck 

 Hawks. Indeeil, it is the opinion of 

 the writer that this specie-* of fah-on has 

 nested on this grand old njounlain each, 

 vear for many decades. This o[)inioiL 



