THE PEREGRINE FALCON 
tempt it to visit such places in its annual wanderings. 
This bird is excelled by few other Raptores in the wild, 
swift swoop with which it strike sitsprey,its long, pointed 
wings giving it asuperb supremacy intheair. It captures 
the various Game Birds, besides Ducks and Waterfowl 
of all kinds, Pigeons and rabbits, with almost matchless 
daring and dash. ‘The bird probably pairs for life, re- 
turning each year to one particular place, and often 
selecting for its purpose some cliffs which teem with Sea- 
birds. Here, in April, on some narrow ledge or in a fissure, 
the three or four eggs are deposited in a slight depres- 
sion, with little or no nest beyond the refuse of the bird’s 
food. ‘These eggs are dull white in ground colour, which, 
however, 1s mostly hidden by the profusion of reddish 
brown markings. Asa rule the Peregrine is silent, but 
when its nest is disturbed it utters a most persistent 
chattering cry. When the young are reared the more or 
less wandering life is resumed, and the offspring rarely 
if ever remain in the locality of their birth. In all cases 
the Peregrine prefers an open haunt. It shows no liking 
for woods, choosing the breezy moors and uplands, from 
which a wide survey of country can be made, and where 
from some lofty perch it can start forth in quest of prey. 
Although the sexes of the Peregrine are practically alike 
in colour, the cock bird is considerably smaller than the 
hen. The upper parts are dark slate-grey, becoming 
black on the head, and two moustachial lines extending 
from the gape down the sides of the throat ; the under 
surface is buffish white, spotted on the throat and breast 
and barred on the remainder with black. Immature 
birds are brown above, each feather witha rufous margin, 
and the under parts are streaked rather than spotted. 
In adults the cere and eyelids are yellow, in the young 
slate-grey. Bull dark horn-colour; tarsi and toes yellow; 
irides dark brown. Length of adult male about 15 inches ; 
female 17 or 18 inches. 
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