THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 17 



witli bones. Remarkable as are both male and female bird 

 for muscular power and high courage, the latter, which is 

 also considerably larger, is by far the superior. The female 

 was, consequently, in the days of falconry flown at Herons 

 and Ducks ; the male, termed a Tiercel or Tiercelet, at 

 Partridges and Pigeons. In their native haunts they seem 

 to cause little alarm among the Puffins and Eazor-bills by 

 which they are surrounded, but the sudden appearance of 

 a pair in a part of the cliff frequented ^Dy Jackdaws, causes 

 terrible consternation ; while any number of intruders on 

 their own domain are driven away with indomitable 

 courage. When pressed by hunger, or desu^ous of changing 

 their diet, they condescend to attack and capture birds so 

 small as a Lark, and it is remarkable that however puny 

 may be the prey, the Falcon preserves its instinctive habit 

 of dealing a deadly blow at once, as if afraid that under 

 all circumstances the natural impulse of its quarry were 

 to stand on the defensive. Even in ordinary flight the 

 movement of its wings is exceedingly quick, but when it 

 stoops on its prey its rapidity of descent is marvellous, 

 accompanied too, as it is, by a sound that may be heard at 

 a distance of two hundred yards. Perhaps no bird has 

 had more written about it than this Falcon, numerous 

 treatises having been composed on the art of " reclaiming " 

 it, or training it for hawking, and the proper method of 

 conducting the sport. We have at present spaoe only to 

 add a few words on the latter subject. The art of the 

 falconer is to intercept the Herons when fl^'^ing against the 

 wind. When a Heron passes, a cast or couple of Falcons 

 are thrown ofi^ which dart into the air, flying in a spiral 

 direction to get above the Heron. As soon as the first 

 has attained the necessary elevation, she makes a stoop, and 

 if she misses, a second stoop is made by the other in her 

 turn. WTien one has succeeded in striking its prey, the 

 other joins in the attack, and all three birds come to the 

 ground together, buoyed in their descent by their expanded 



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