PEREGRINE FALCONS 239 



maintaining that one or two have met with some 

 mishap. I do not ; though where but one 

 incuhated egg or young bird is found I strongly 

 suspect foul play or accident, unless of course it 

 were, as well might be, the produce of a very old 

 hen. That reminds me that here and there one 

 meets with a presumably barren female, who 

 proves a perfect scourge to a chain of cliff which 

 hitherto has always boasted an eyrie. Not only 

 will she refuse to mate with any chance bachelor 

 or widowed tiercel which may come her way, but 

 also, and far worse, does she fiercely drive off a 

 pair prospecting for a home. Mr. Philip Gough 

 gave me a capital illustration of this peculiarity, 

 but luckily, after a deal of time and trouble, he shot 

 the delinquent, and now a pair reign supreme on 

 his cliffs once more. 



A Peregrine which lays four eggs not only 

 usually produces the same number annually, but is 

 also apt to do likewise for a second attempt, on 

 losing her original clutch. Very occasionally 

 indeed, should number two court misfortune, a 

 third laying is produced, but in such rare instances 

 the eggs are practically always infertile. * Fives ' 

 and even * ' sixes ' ' I have read o/, but in these I 

 place no faith whatever, though I do know of one 

 well authenticated case where five eggs w r ere taken 

 from the same eyrie at intervals. The facts are 

 these. A friend of mine took three eggs it was 

 a second attempt, too from a certain eyrie about 



