THE PRAIRIE FALCON. 525 
until they are anchored, as it were, to land by the strong chains of the repro- 
ductive instinct. The Prairie Falcon is likewise a dweller of the blue serene. 
The level prairies and the rolling hills are his ocean, and he is a bold corsair, 
snatching his prey at will from the crested billow (of soil) and caring nothing 
for the clumsy men-of-war save to spurn them. But when spring comes on 
then he must seek some frowning cliff which fronts the prairie wave; and 
then he must place himself and those dearer than self at the mercy of the 
curious public, whether friendly or hostile. 
The Prairie Falcon is, after the Sparrow Hawk, the commonest bird of 
Taken at Brook Lake. Photo by the Author 
AN ANCIENT STRONGHOLD, 
NESTING SITES OF THE PRAIRIE FALCON NEW AND OLD, ABOUND ALONG THE FACE OF THIS WALL, 
prey in eastern Washington. All undisturbed rock-walls and cliffs are likely 
to harbor one or more pairs of them, but the course of the Columbia River 
and its tributaries marks the center of their abundance. The Grand Coulee 
is full of them; the Okanogan Valley has its share; while the cafon of the 
Snake and the Columbia River gorge below Wallula are not forgotten. 
All the traditions of chivalry, save gentleness, and all the associations of 
romance gather about this bird. In speed, in grace, in prowess, and in skill, 
he is the peer of any; and in the choice of nesting sites he is excelled by none. 
Picture, if you please, a granite cleft in Okanogan County. The road at the 
