PEREGRINE FALCONS 233 



of cigar ash), whereas the ledges, of course, merely 

 show a crumbling surface of chalk, which, after 

 the Falcons have furrowed about in it, becomes 

 quite dusty. How these holes originated is un- 

 certain. Some say that that section of the cliff 

 directly above them was once sloping or very 

 broken and that rabbits, still found here and there 

 in such suitable spots, especially where the summit 

 of the cliff is sandy, have thus been responsible for 

 them. This, I know, applies to one or two eyries, 

 but on the other hand the majority of these holes 

 are much too far down the steep to warrant any 

 such assumption. My own idea is that at some 

 remote epoch a huge flint (lines of flints are great 

 features of chalk cliffs) became dislodged from the 

 chalky stratum, so leaving its former bed to the 

 mercies of the elements, which in the course of 

 centuries have eaten into and hollowed out the 

 friable material. 



It depends a good deal on available sites, but 

 not infrequently and especially in Sussex I have 

 seen eyries only a few feet (sometimes but three or 

 four feet) down the steep. One specially curious 

 site was the ledge having now broken away on 

 a long, broad shelf, only fifteen feet down the cliff, 

 which culminated in the gap down which the rubble 

 from the neighbouring village is shot once a week ; 

 and the eggs were wont to be deposited but a very 

 few feet from the " shoot " itself. On this ledge 

 could be seen, periodically, decrepit tins and cans, 



