THE FALCOX. 69 



first arrived in the spring, and it was very 

 amusing to watch them ; but they called nothing 

 for their attacks, and ultimately settled down to 

 an armed neutrality. 



There must be an establishment for un- 

 married female falcons somewhere. The male 

 never seems to have any trouble in procuring 

 a mate. We have known one procure tln:ee 

 in a few weeks. It is also cmious how they will 

 continue to frequent rocks on which they have 

 once bred. In 1874 the eggs were taken from 

 one rock and a female was shot on another, al- 

 though to our certain knowledge the yoimg have 

 not taken wing from the nest on either rock since 

 1869, and every year since that time at least one 

 bnd has been shot at each of those nests. They 

 are very rarely seen, and their presence on a pro- 

 perty is often not suspected. Although one smn- 

 mer we saw fomleen on wing round their nests, 

 during the following shooting season we never 

 saw one, though we constantly came on the 

 remains of birds they had killed. This was 



