226 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



used for sport are taken from the nest as eyasses. 

 The taking of the young birds is an operation by 

 no means unaccompanied with danger, as it fre- 

 quently necessitates the use of a long rope, held 

 from above, by means of which the person engaged 

 in taking them is lowered to the nest. The middle 

 of June is the period usually selected for the opera- 

 tion, when the young- birds are in a most suitable 

 condition. There may, indeed, be said to be 

 almost one day on which the occupants of each 

 nest are most fit to take, viz., just before they 

 are able to fly. In order to ascertain this time, 

 it is necessary to watch the nest carefully day by 

 day. The stronger the birds are, the better, of 

 course ; yet, if left too long, they would fly, or, 

 at all events, flutter about, and so considerably 

 increase the difficulty of their capture, or injure 

 themselves in falling. 



In length the peregrine falcon varies from fifteen 

 to twenty inches, the female being larger than 

 the male. In colour its eggs are very similar to 

 those of the kestrel, being of a dull light red, 

 spotted with dark red blotches. I may also here 

 remark that the eggs of the merlin, kestrel and 

 peregrine are very much alike. Those of the 

 hobby are also spotted with reddish-brown, but 

 the under colour is of a yellowish-green tinge. 

 The plumage of the peregrine is of a bluish-gray 

 on the back ; the crown of the head, cheeks and 

 ears are nearly black. The under parts are of a 

 yellowish-white, with dark spots on the throat 



