WOUNDED PEREGRINE FED BY ITS MATE 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — My friend, Lehrer Precht, of Bremen, tells me the 

 following tale, which I have every reason to believe is quite 

 authentic : — It appears that during the hard frost ex- 

 perienced at the beginning of January last a labourer caught 

 a fine female Peregrine {Falco peregrinus) in the following 

 way : On the outskirts of Bremen (Germany) there are large 

 fields, flooded during the winter. On a small island in the 

 midst of such a field lay the Peregrine, her wings frozen to 

 the ground holding her a prisoner. Around her lay the 

 remains of Wild Duck, Partridges, and Pheasants, while above 

 hovered her mate. On examination both legs were found 

 to be broken by shot, the right thigh in two places. These 

 injuries had been inflicted at least a fortnight before, for 

 union between the ends of the broken bones had been almost 

 completed, and an open wound was suppurating freely. 

 Several pellets of No. 8 shot was extracted. Since both legs 

 were disabled the bird was powerless to obtain food, so during 

 the whole period the bird was fed by her trusty mate, and \Aas, 

 when killed, in good condition. Having perforce to roost on 

 the ground, her feathers became frozen to the damp surface. 



The above story explains a fact which has puzzled Precht 

 for years. He was skinning a Goshawk, and noticed that 

 the humerus had been broken by a shot, and that the bone 

 had completely united again. He Avondered how the bird 

 could possibly have fed itself during the period in which it 

 was incapacitated. Arguing from the above instance, it 

 mav have been fed bv its mate. 



P. H. Bahr. 



