LITTORAL LAND BIRDS. 263 
pile of sticks and branches, lined with dry grass, 
wool, and other soft material. The two eggs, laid 
in March or April, are white. This Eagle may be 
distinguished from the Golden Eagle by its bare 
tarsi. The note is a yelping or barking cry. Out- 
side our limits, this bird is found in the northern 
portions of Europe and Asia, from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific. 
PEREGRINE FALCON. 
This bold and handsome bird, the alo fere- 
grimus of naturalists, in spite of much persecution, 
still survives on many of our rocky coasts, becom- 
ing most abundant in Scotland and Ireland. The 
favourite resorts of the Peregrine are precipitous 
cliffs, especially such as are constantly washed by 
the sea. From these, it not only sallies in quest of 
sea-birds, but flies inland to hunt for prey. The 
dash and courage of the Peregrine are proverbial, 
few birds, on land or sea, escaping from its fatal 
swoop. Near the coast, the food of this Falcon is 
largely composed of Ducks, Plovers, Sandpipers, 
Pigeons, Partridges, sea fowl, and rabbits. The 
flight of the Peregrine, when the bird is in the act 
of chasing its prey, is rapid, and full of sudden 
turns and twists, but at other times it is slow and 
deliberate. Witness the aerial gyrations of this 
species above its nesting-place, when it may be 
seen soaring and wheeling in lofty flight. Its note, 
heard principally in the vicinity of the nest, is a 
oud, chattering cry. This Falcon probably pairs 
