PEREGRINE FALCONS 225 



several together), will lay itself out to pursue a 

 Falcon. The latter, however, chooses to treat the 

 whole affair as a huge joke, and avoids their 

 clumsy onrushes with ease. At first though, it 

 permits one of its tormentors to overhaul it, till, 

 in fact, the Gull seems as if it will really succeed 

 in buffeting it. Then, however, the hawk makes 

 a sort of smooth forward plunge, half turning on 

 its side the while, but instantly recovering puts on 

 full steam and shoots ahead, leaving its aggressor 

 far, far in the rear. 



The flight of the Peregrine is extremely 

 characteristic and one quite its own. Without 

 being exactly graceful, it is nevertheless utterly 

 devoid of all clumsiness, being clean, vigorous, 

 and very purposeful. It is an impetuous winnow 

 varied by straight, bold glides on motionlessly 

 extended wings, in which connexion it should be 

 noticed that the bird, even when flying with the 

 wind, often sways gently from side to side. When 

 dashing along a cliff-face the Peregrine especially 

 the tiercel will dive curiously from time to time, 

 but the recovery is effected like lightning, and by 

 no means retards the journey. This rapid winnow 

 and glide, then, is the normal flight, and is very 

 characteristic, especially when you get the bird 

 profile on, as it then appears to carry all its weight 

 forward, being indeed wondrously deep-chested. 

 Hence its great strength. At rest, of course, as 

 is common with most of the raptors, the chest is 



Q 



