PEREGRINE. C9 
pairs built within a mile of each other—a very unusual cir- 
cumstance. Tory Island, off Donegal, the Mourne mountains 
in the county of Down, Bray Head in that of Wicklow, the 
cliffs over the Killeries in Galway, Bay Lough in Tipperary, 
the Saltee Islands, Wexford, the Blasquet Islands, Kerry, 
Ardmore and Dunmore in Waterford, and the sea-coast cliffs 
of the county of Cork. 
Whether the Peregrine is partially migratory in this country, 
seems at present not to have been ascertained. It appears 
to be thought that the old birds remain about their haunts, 
while the young ones, after their expulsion from the nest, 
are compelled to wander about. 
Its flight is extremely rapid, and is doubtless well described 
by Macgillivray, as strongly resembling that of the Rock 
Pigeon. It seldom soars or sails after the manner of the 
Eagles and Buzzards. It does so, indeed, occasionally, but 
its usual mode of flying is near the ground, with quickl 
repeated beatings of its wings. Montagu has calculated the 
rate of its flight at as much as one hundred and fifty miles 
an hour, and Colonel Thornton, at about sixty miles. An 
average of one hundred may I think be fairly estimated. 
Meyer says that it never strikes at prey near the ground, 
through an instinctive fear of being dashed to pieces; but the 
contrary is the fact, its upward sweep preserving it generally 
from this danger. The recoil, as it were, of the blow which 
dashes its victim to the earth, overpowers in itself the attraction 
of gravity, and it rises most gracefully into the air until it has 
stayed the impetus of its flight. Instances have however been 
known where both pursuer and pursued have dashed against 
trees, or even a stone on the ground, in the ardour of pur- 
suing and being pursued, and each has been either stunned 
for the time, or killed outright by the violence of the blow. 
Sometimes, in pursuit of its prey, the Peregrine will ‘tower’ 
upwards until both are lost to sight. 
The food of the species before us consists principally of 
birds, such as the larger and smaller sea-gulls, auks, guillemots, 
puffins, larks, pigeons, ptarmigans, rooks, jackdaws, woodcocks, 
laudrails, wild geese, partridges, plovers, grouse, curlews, ducks, 
and even at times the kestrel; but it also feeds on hares, 
rabbits, rats, and other small quadrupeds; as well as at times 
on larger ones, such as dogs and cats, and also occasionally 
on fish. It is said to harass the grey crows, but not to use 
them for food. Instances have been known of Peregrines 
