THE PEREGRINE FALCON 29 



The Peregrine is an early breeder, and in my opinion is a 

 life-paired species. For years and years the same nesting- 

 site is tenanted, and certain localities for time out of mind 

 have been known to possess their pair of birds. As if 

 conscious of the persecution it receives from man, the 

 Peregrine generally contrives to make its nest in places 

 almost inaccessible. The pair of Peregrines, for instance, 

 that frequent the Bass Eock have chosen an admirable 

 situation in the lofty cliffs. Here they evidently possess 

 several nesting -places, using them alternately. When I 

 visited this nest in May, the birds had selected a dangerous 

 bit of cliff several hundred feet above the water. As soon 

 as I got near the top of the cliff, the female dashed rapidly 

 out from the nest, uttering her usual chattering cry of alarm, 

 which soon brought the cock bird into view. As I was 

 lowered into the nest the scene around was most impressive. 

 Far down below, in the dizzy awful depths, I could see the 

 Guillemots and Puffins gamboling in the water at the base of 

 the cliffs, looking like specks of foam ; whilst the Gannets 

 in thousands were flying to and fro, ever and anon passing 

 by me almost within arm's length, their beautiful white 

 plumage glistening in the sunlight, and their harsh grating 

 cries adding to the charm of the scene. As I descended, big 

 masses of rock gave way and went crashing down, striking 

 the water with a noise like thunder. Far up in the air 

 above the two old Peregrines were sailing round and round, 

 the female occasionally sweeping past the face of the cliff, 

 so near that I could see the sparkle of her bright black eye, 

 and hear the rustle of her wings. The male was much more 

 wary, and content to watch my actions at a distance. I 

 found the nest on a narrow ledge of the cliffs, which just 

 allowed me sufficient standing-room. It was a simple 

 structure, merely a little hollow scratched out in the scanty 

 soil, in which were a few bits of dead vegetation, probably 



