WITH THE PEREGRINE AND MERLIN 251 



towards us, " croc, croc, croc." After describing a 

 wide circle he returns to the cHff again, where he 

 is soon joined by his mate, and hearing the dis- 

 turbance, I suppose, a third Raven joins them for 

 a minute or two. We still continue, the Ravens 

 getting angrier every second (the male especially 

 so, and he delights us by " tumbling " beautifully, 

 as only Ravens can), and are now perhaps but two 

 hundred and fifty yards from the rocks, when, like a 

 lightning-flash, the Tiercel Peregrine leaves his look- 

 out post, and, dashing along the cliff's face, makes a 

 vicious " stoop " at one of the Ravens, which only 

 just avoids the collision by a half-turn of the wing. 

 I can plainly see the great gouge-shaped beak pointed 

 upwards on which to receive the Tiercel should he 

 really mean business, and the latter's legs are ex- 

 tended to the full, but nothing comes of it, and the 

 Peregrine swooping up, makes a rapid detour of the 

 valley, though still silent. 



Another hundred yards on our part, when " kak, 

 kak, kak " from the Tiercel, and out swings the 

 Falcon from her eyrie. Both are now very noisy, 

 dashing [last the cliff's face, and alternately taking 

 wide sweeping circles round the valley. The Falcon's 

 note is very different from her mate's, being more 

 prolonged, and resembling rather the following 

 syllable : " Kerech, kerech, kerech " — a piercing cry 

 indeed, x^ too venturesome Kestrel passes directly 

 under them, but, fortunately for him, no notice is 

 taken, though we fully expect to see him pay the 

 penalty. 



We essay to reach the eyrie from the bottom of the 



