246 FIELD-STUDIES OF RARER BIRDS 



When flushed from the eyrie individual pairs 

 behave very differently. Frequently the tiercel is 

 standing on a ledge not far from the brooding 

 Falcon, and on being disturbed he shoots out from 

 the cliff, sometimes screaming lustily, though it 

 is interesting to note that not only are south coast 

 tiercels mainly quiet, easy-going birds, but that the 

 Falcons also are apt to be more or less voiceless 

 during an invasion. Once the tiercel is out a few 

 good claps or a shot generally arouse the Falcon, 

 \vho dashes from her eyrie to join him, taking up 

 his plaint in a somewhat different and even more 

 raucous key ; and though both birds are sufficiently 

 bold, especially when they have young, they seldom 

 venture within gun-shot. Sometimes the flushed 

 bird, especially if its mate is an absentee hangs 

 head to wind at a good height and never utters a 

 sound while I have stormed her citadel, and quite 

 often the absentee fails to put in an appearance 

 at all, or he may return only to disappear after 

 a short interval ; or again, even if on the spot in 

 the first instance, he may elect to streak away at 

 once with whining remonstrances. I have noticed 

 this trait particularly with mountain Peregrines. 

 Very occasionally the " sitter," after being put out 

 from eggs, will deliberately dash off clean out of 

 sight, not to return till danger is passed. All the 

 same, if one may claim any definite rule in the 

 matter, most Peregrines, when disturbed from their 

 eyrie, winnow up and down along the cliff (some- 



