159 



FALCO PEREGRIN US. 



THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 



Wing's, when closed, of nearly tlie same Jengtli as the 

 tail. Of the adult male, the upper parts dark bluish- 

 grey, the head blackish, the lower parts white, the breast 

 transversely spotted. Of the female, the upper parts 

 tinged with brown, the lower yellowish-white, with 

 the markings larger. Of the young, the back blackish- 

 brown, the breast pale yellowish-red with broad longi- 

 tudinal markings. In all stages, a large dark brown 

 or blackish mystachial patch. / 



IMale — The Peregrine Falcon, which, although in- 

 ferior in size to the Iceland Falcon, bears a great re- 

 semblance to it in form, and was held in nearly equal 

 estimation as a hunting hawk, is a permanent resident, 

 and occurs in many parts of Britain, but more espe- 

 cially in the northern parts of Scotland, and in its 

 islands. The history of this species has been singu- 

 larly mystified by the older writers, who, on account 

 of the variations which its plumage exhibits in the pro- 

 gress towards maturity, would have it split into several 

 distinct species. The error, however, has been recti- 

 fied ; and it is now quite absurd to cumber a termino- 

 logy already sufficiently complex, and moreover per- 

 petually changing, with the " trail" of exploded no- 

 tions. In form the species is full and robust, its neck 

 rather short, its head large and round. The bill is 



