Birds of Prey. 1 1 



him to see the Falcon, but was at length persuaded to 

 do so. The moment she was brought into the room 

 she darted towards her old master, rubbed her head 

 against his cheek, took hold of the buttons of his coat 

 and champed them playfully between her mandibles, 

 and showed her delight and affection by every means 

 in her power. There could be no doubt as to the 

 ownership, and the falcon was restored to her rightful 

 master. 



However pleasant pets the Peregrine Falcons may 

 be to their owner, the wild birds must be very undesir- 

 able neighbours to the proprietors of moors and other 

 preserves, especially as they are said to have an innate 

 love of sport, and to prefer grouse, woodcocks, etc., to 

 more ignoble game. 



The young birds are very voracious, and keep their 

 parents constantly at work to supply them with food. 

 An instance of their sagacity is recorded by Mr. Sin- 

 clair. Seeing a man being lowered towards their nest, 

 the female hovered close to her young, while the male 

 bird circled high in the air, and dropped from his 

 beak the food he was bringing to the young birds, 

 which was caught by the female and carried to them 

 by her. 



The females are always preferred to the males for 

 hawking : they are larger and more daring and perse- 

 vering than their mates, which are called in the lan- 

 guage of falconry tiercels or tarsels. When the birds 



