HIS NOTES ON THE LILFORD COLLECTION 251 



His companion of later years is quite as amus- 

 ing, but not quite so familiar and sociable as 

 the "late lamented," whose name he constantly 

 repeats and has apparently taken to himself. 



' One afternoon in November last I heard 

 these ravens making a very unusual clamour 

 close in front of the house, and on looking out 

 of window perceived that they had got hold 

 of, and nearly killed, a Peregrine Falcon. I sent 

 out a servant, who secured the falcon without 

 difficulty. We found that it was an old wild 

 bird suffering from a sort of asthma known 

 to falconers as the " croaks," and some- 

 what poor in flesh. I would willingly have 

 tried to keep this falcon alive and restored it 

 to liberty, but the ravens had injured it so 

 severely that it was only common mercy to kill 

 it. How and why it allowed itself to be seized 

 and worried by its antagonists we can never 

 know. 



' Our Spanish Bear will also probably be 

 remembered by any who have come to Lilford 

 during the ten years that she has been here ; I 

 am glad to say that she is still well, though 

 occasionally subject to rheumatism resulting 



