80 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



Remarks. Kesident, but wandering. Note: a 

 yelping, or barking kind of cry. Local and other 

 names : Sea Eagle, Erne, Cinerous Eagle. Sits 

 rather lightly, and is much attached to the same 

 nesting site. 



FALCON, PEREGRINE. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length from 

 fifteen to seventeen or eighteen inches. Bill short, 

 strong, much curved, and blue with a blackish tip. 

 Bare skin round the base of the beak and eyelids 

 yellow. Irides dusky. Head, back of neck, and 

 upper parts generally bluish-ash, coloured darkest 

 on the crown and nape, and faintly barred on the 

 back and wing- coverts with a darker tint. Wing- 

 quills dusky, barred and spotted on the inner webs 

 with reddish- white. Tail-feathers barred alter- 

 nately with black and dingy ash. Chin, throat, 

 and upper breast white, tinged with yellow or 

 rufous, and marked on the two latter parts with 

 a few dark streaks. Lower breast, belly, and under- 

 parts white, barred with dark brown and grey. 

 Legs and toes yellow; claws black. 



The female is somewhat larger, but similar in 

 plumage. However, the species is subject to a 

 great amount of individual variation. 



Situation and Locality. On ledges and in the 

 crevices of rugged inaccessible sea cliffs and inland 

 crags. In one or two places in England and 

 Wales, and more numerously in Scotland and 

 Ireland. I know a scaur in Westmoreland where 

 the bird frequently attempts to breed, but invariably 

 gets shot or robbed. The illustration appearing on 

 p. 15 represents a cliff in Mull, in which a Peregrine 

 Falcon and Common Buzzard were nesting at the 



