266 Cameron, Birds of Custer & Davenport Counties, Mont. [jYilv 



into from a yard away at the above date and not visited again until June 

 15. They were nevertheless found to be deserted. The falcons had chosen 

 another site in a still more inaccessible cliff above the river where they 

 were left undisturbed. The Prairie Falcon is very bold in its attacks 

 upon game birds and poultry, seizing them either on the ground or on the 

 wing indifferently. I have known it to prey upon Mallards, both kinds 

 of Teal, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and domestic fowls. In attacking full grown 

 hens the falcon suddenly checks its stoop about a yard above the victim 

 over which it hovers before making the final dash. Meanwhile the shriek- 

 ing fowl runs wildly about and there is often time to scare away the free- 

 booter which then mounts with incredible rapidity. At the time of their 

 migration Green-winged Teal seem to be the favorite quarry, and Mr. 

 J. H. Price has twice shot one of these ducks from a flock pursued by a 

 Prairie Falcon before it had made its stoop. This dashing marauder attends 

 upon the Teal as they move up or down the creeks, and in winter is the 

 relentless persecutor of the Sharp-tailed Grouse. I have even seen the 

 falcon watching on a pine for the grouse to emerge from the snow at its foot. 

 On February 7, 1895, an adult Prairie Falcon (now in my possession) was 

 shot by a neighbor, J. C. Braley, at Terry, under peculiar circumstances. 

 His wife was cooking beetroot and threw out the refuse on the snow, when 

 the falcon, passing overhead, stooped to the beetroot which it probably 

 mistook for raw meat. 



On September 21, 1904, at our ranch in Dawson County, my wife and 1 

 watched a Prairie Falcon in the act of carrying off a Meadowlark which 

 was screaming and struggling in its talons. As the falcon rose level with 

 the hill-tops, a Golden Eagle sailed majestically over in close proximity to 

 it, thereby appearing to fluster the other which allowed its victim to escape. 

 Old birds of F. mexicanus may always be distinguished from the young 

 by their yellow feet and legs, as in immature examples these are slate color. 



73. Falco peregrinus anatum. Duck Hawk. — A scarce resident. 

 In 1905, there was an eyrie of peregrines not far from the Terry ferry boat 

 crossing. I did not see the eggs, which were laid in an inaccessible fissure 

 about six feet below the overhanging edge of a cliff which towers above 

 the Yellowstone. By crawling along a projecting spur of gumbo it was 

 possible to obtain a good view of the rock face and of the falcon as she 

 flew from beneath, but nothing else could be made out except the excre- 

 ment of the birds. It would appear that neither the Duck Hawk nor the 

 Prairie Falcon make any pretence at a nest here, the eggs being deposited 

 in the hollows which are often found excavated in the vertical face of hard 

 sandrock. 



74. Falco columbarius. Pigeon Hawk. — Tolerably common fall mi- 

 grant. Since 1899 I have many notes of this hawk, but perhaps some 

 of them would properly apply to the next species. I saw five Pigeon 

 Hawks together twice, on August 20, 1899, and July 21, 1904, at which 

 time they flew low over my buggy. I have also twice seen a Pigeon 



