THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 5209 
I had worked down some fifty feet over the brow of a 200-foot granite cliff, 
when the nesting site flashed into view. It was merely a flat accumulation of 
soil and detritus, held in position in a tiny “throat” by a fallen stone which 
had failed to clear the rocky fauces. Fifteen feet was the closest I could get 
with the camera, but five juicy eggs clamoring to be taken were too much for 
the oologist. Cautiously down, down, I went. On the way, and indeed while 
photographing the Falcons’ eggs from above, | had become aware of some 
other avian denizens somewhere, as evidenced by the lusty peepings of a callow 
brood. Now one, and now a nestful, clamored or were silent by turns. When 
I reached the platform, I found my birds. The Faleon eggs were upon the 
point of hatching. Only one had pipped, but all were singing in ovo. Better 
so! I turned and retraced my steps without disappointment—shame rather, for 
maternity is sacred in castle or in cabin. Farewell, brave Falcons! Let your 
screams of rage and defiance be changed to soft lullabies. My hour has passed. 
No. 213. 
PEREGRINE FALCON. 
U. No. 356. Falco peregrinus anatum (Bonap.). 
Synonyms.—AMERICAN PEREGRINE Faicon. Great-Footrep Faicon. Duck 
HaAwK. 
Description.—4 dult: Above dark bluish ash, or slaty black with a glaucous 
“bloom,” the feathers lighter edged, and the larger ones obscurely barred; top of 
head appreciably darker——almost black; wings long, and pointed by the second 
quill, the first notched about two inches from the end; primaries distinctly barred 
on the inner webs with ochraceous; tail and upper tail-coverts narrowly barred 
with ashy-gray and blackish, whitish-tipped; area below eye, produced downward 
as broad “moustache,” sooty black; throat and chest white or buffy, immaculate 
or nearly so; remaining underparts white or buffy, everywhere heavily spotted, on 
breast with blackish crescentic marks, posteriorly lengthening into braces and 
bars; tarsus feathered two-fifths of the way down; toes and claws lengthened ; 
bill blue-black, but with cere and much of base yellow ; feet yellow ; claws black. 
Immature: Above sooty brown, plain or with some glaucous bloom with ad- 
vancing age; feathers not barred, but more broadly and distinctly edged with 
ochraceous buff; top of head lighter than back by reason of ochraceous and 
whitish admixture; bars of tail obsolete on central feathers; below heavily striped 
with sooty brown, or if barred, only on flanks; chest never immaculate,—narrowly 
streaked with sooty brown; prev ailing color of underparts Tee buffy or ochra- 
ceous than in adults. Adult male, length: 15.50-18.00 (393.7-457.2); wing 
I1.50-13.00 (292.1-330.2) ; tail 6.00-7.75 ( 152.4-196.9 ) ; culmen .77 (19.6). Adult 
female, cee 18.00-20.00 Uae GaN wing 13.50-14.75 (342.9-374.7) ; tail 
7.00-9.25 (177.8-235); culmen .95 (24.1). 
