WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



iately began caressing me, and as plainly as possible ex- 

 pressing her delight at having found me again; whether 

 hunger or affection induced her to return, I know not; 

 though I rather fear the former, as, on my giving her a 

 rabbit, she commenced devouring it as if her fast had not 

 been broken since she got away. In feeding on birds, I 

 observe that she invariably begins by plucking them of 

 almost all their feathers, however hungry she may be; and 

 when I give her a rat or rabbit, she always pulls off most 

 of the hair before commencing her meal. The only animal 

 that she appears unwilling to eat is a mole, everything else 

 is devoured without hesitation, and, when hungry, no bird 

 is too large for her to attack. Black-backed gull or cor- 

 morant is instantly seized and plucked; and one day, a 

 Skye terrier going too near her chain, she instantly flew 

 at it, and, had I not come to the rescue, would probably 

 have killed it, as, perching on the dog's back, the hawk 

 commenced immediately tearing at its head and eyes. The 

 male peregrine is considerably smaller than the female, 

 and of a much lighter colour; their nest is built in some 

 inaccessible niche or shelf of a lofty cliff or rock, and both 

 birds assist in the business of incubation. The quantity of 

 game killed by a pair of these birds to feed their young is 

 immense; and, from their great courage and strength, no 

 bird of the game kind in this country has any chance with 

 them. 



Occasionally an osprey comes sailing down the course 

 of the river, but does not breed anywhere in our immediate 

 neighbourhood. This very beautiful bird drops like a stone 

 on any unlucky fish that its sharp eye may detect in the 



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