116 PEREGRINE FALCON. 



straggler, but in the mountainous counties, part of 

 Yorkshire, for instance, and in the border coun- 

 ties, and many parts of Wales, its eyries were 

 frequent and are still found. On entering the 

 Scottish frontier, it is still more common, be- 

 comes rarer in the lower and richer valley of the 

 Forth or Mid-Lothian ; but on crossing this, and 

 entering the Highland ranges, it again prevails. 

 In Ireland, it is also found : Mr Thompson writes, 

 " It may be stated in general terms, that the 

 Peregrine Falcon occurs in suitable localities 

 throughout Ireland. In the four maritime coun- 

 ties of Ulster, it has many eyries, and in Antrim, 

 whose basaltic precipices are favourable for this 

 purpose, seven, at least, might be enumerated : of 

 these only one is inland."* On the Scottish 

 coasts, almost every precipitous headland is pos- 

 sessed by a pair of " Blue Hawks," and similar 

 situations elsewhere are the most favourite breed- 

 ing places of the species, selected, most likely, as 

 by the Jer Falcon, on account of the abundant 

 provender which also nestles around them. Many 

 pairs, however, also breed inland, and the moun- 

 tain ranges on both sides of the Border abound 

 with eyries ; but among a race of birds, which 

 of old were held in so high estimation both in 

 Britain and on the Continent, it was to be expec- 



Mag. of Zool. and Dot. vol. ii. 



