PEREGRINE FALCON. I75 



when two months ohl the birds are pretty well fledged, 

 and at the end of three months they are able to fly. 

 The old bird at first feeds the young with a kind of 

 fish soup prepared in its gullet and stomach, and which 

 it introduces drop by drop as it were into its throat. 

 JJut when its nursling is pretty well grown, it places 

 its bill within its mouth, and disgorges the fish either 

 entire or in fragments. They never carry fish to the 

 rock in their bills. The smallest number of young 

 killed in a year is a thousand, the greatest two thou- 

 sand ; but in general the number is fifteen or sixteen 

 hundred. After being plucked, they are sold at from 

 ninepence to a shilling each. The price of a young 

 bird for stuffing is two shillings, of an old bird five, of 

 an egg one. For the information contained in this 

 paragraph I am indebted to the keeper. 



At the period of my second visit with Mr Audubon, 

 the nests in most places had almost entirely disappear- 

 ed, for it is only during incubation that the birds keep 

 them in constant repair. The young were in various 

 stages, a few quite small and covered all over with 

 white down, the greater number partially fledged, with 

 the down remaining on the head and neck, and some 

 nearly ready to fly, and having merely a few tufts of 

 down on the hind neck. The young lay flat, either on 

 the remnants of the nest, or on the bare rock or ground. 

 They are very patient and uncomplaining ; in fact, none 

 uttered a single cry while we were inspecting them. I 

 observed an old bird, with its own young beside it, 

 squeeze the neck of another- youngling with consider- 

 able force. The poor bird bore the persecution with 

 perfect resignation, and merely cowered under the bill 



