€0 GAME PEESEEVERS AXD BIED PEESEEVEES. 



how little is known about their numbers. 

 Even Sir D. Wedderburn says : ' I suppose 

 one could count on one's lingers the nests of 

 the peregrine falcon which are in England, 

 Wales, and Scotland.' Why, last May, while 

 standing within shot of a falcon's nest, from 

 which we had just killed the old bird, we 

 could see with the naked eye five other rocks 

 or mountains on which, to our certain know- 

 ledge, they have bred regularly imtil quite 

 recently, and on which they are each year 

 trying to re-establish themselves. The furthest 

 of these nests is not quite twenty miles from 

 where Ave were standing; the others very much 

 nearer. And we know of two other nests in 

 the neighbourhood. These birds seem to de- 

 pend more for protection on the very lonely 

 natm-e of the spot selected for their nest 

 than on its inaccessible situation. It is easy 

 to climb witliin shot of nearly all the 

 nests w^e have seen, and some of them may 

 even be robbed without the aid of ropes or 

 ladders. 



