AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 13 



horses, or human beings, and it is in the study 

 of these peculiarities that a great part of the 

 falconer's art consists. 



The Peregrine breeds almost invariably in cliffs 

 both on the sea-coast and inland, and uses the same 

 spot for that purpose year after year. I have often 

 noticed in this neighbourhood that when a Falcon 

 has established herself at one of the stands, or 

 look-out places above mentioned, though she will 

 occasionally tolerate the companionship of one other 

 bird of her species, immediately that a third indi- 

 vidual makes its appearance in her hunting-grounds 

 a fight is certain to ensue, and the last comer 

 generally has the worst of it. I on one occasion 

 near this place saw a male Peregrine capture a 

 Starling after some fine stoops high in air ; he 

 carried off" his prey to the top of a high ash tree, 

 and was instantaneously robbed of it by a female of 

 the same species. I ought to mention that in this 

 species, as in most birds of prey, the female is the 

 largest and most powerful bird, and is the " Falcon " 

 of falconers, the male being distinguished by the 

 name of " Tiercel." 





