no OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



blue. Bill large, conical, and horn-colour. Legs black. 

 Length 34 in. Female similar. Young : at first naked 

 and black, then covered with white down ; later, 

 blackish brown above, flecked with white ; under parts 

 mottled with brown and buff. Adult plumage attained 

 in five or six years, the white increasing year by year. 



Language. A harsh " carra, crac-cra." 



Habits. Flight rapid and powerful. It swims well, 

 but cannot dive. When fishing it rises to some height 

 and then plunges down with tremendous force into the 

 water to seize some surface-swimming fish. Gregarious 

 in the breeding season. 



Food. Fish. 



Nest. May. One brood. 



Site. On some inaccessible ledge of the sea-cliffs. 



Materials. Grass, turf-sods, and seaweed. 



Eggs. One. Dull white, chalky substance overlying 

 pale blue shell. Soon becomes very dirty. 



PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco peregrinus). 



Rarer than formerly, owing to constant persecution. 

 Found most commonly in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. 



Haunts. Wild sea-cliffs. 



Plumage. Upper parts bluish grey, barred with darker 

 grey. Head and moustachial streak black ; under parts 

 huffish white, transversely barred with brown. Tail 

 more or less barred with ruddy brown, and tipped with 

 white. Bill bluish, darker at the point ; cere and legs 

 yellow. Length 15 in. Female : upper parts tinged 

 with brown, and under parts with reddish ; length 18 

 in. Young : ashy brown on upper parts, with buff 

 margins to feathers ; under parts dull white, longitudin- 

 ally streaked with brown. Nestling covered with white 

 down. 



Language. A sharp " hek," repeated two or three 

 times. 



