134 THE FALCONS 



limits in winter and early spring, and chiefly on our western coasts, and has been 

 recorded from Northern France, Belgium, and Germany. [F. c. B. j.] 



3. Migration. A winter visitor in small numbers from its far northern 

 breeding-haunts. It is of practically annual occurrence in the north of Scotland, 

 but records grow less frequent southwards through Great Britain, although there 

 are a few even for the extreme south of England (Sussex, Cornwall, etc.). In 

 Ireland it occurs between September and April, rather notably in the latter month, 

 but chiefly in the western maritime counties (especially Donegal, Mayo, and Kerry), 

 a fact which may well be connected with the probable Greenland origin of the 

 movement (cf. Ussher and Warren, B. of Ireland, 1900, p. 135; and Ussher, British 

 Birds, vol. ii. p. 413). Recorded singly or in couples ; most of the examples obtained 

 are immature birds. [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Does not breed in the British Isles. [F. c. R. jr.] 



5. Food. The main food of the Greenland falcon at its breeding-places 

 consists of guillemots and gulls (Larus leucopterus and Eissa tridactyla), ptarmigan 

 and lemmings. In Great Britain wild-fowl, puffins and rabbits have been 

 recorded, [w. p. p.] 



PEREGRINE-FALCON [Fdlco peregrinus peregrinus, TunstaU. Cliff- 

 hawk, blue-hawk, duck-hawk, stock-hawk ; goshawk (Shetlands) ; hunting- 

 hawk (Ireland) ; tiercel, falcon. French, faucon pelerin ; German, Wander- 

 falke ; Italian, falcone]. 



I. Description. The peregrine may always be distinguished from any 

 other of the falcons which breed with us by reason of its greatly superior size ; 

 while it may at once be distinguished from any of the larger falcons which occa- 

 sionally visit us, e.g. Greenland falcon, by the fact that the outer is longer than 

 the inner toe. The sexes are similar, and the male is markedly smaller than the 

 female. There is no seasonal change of coloration. The male has the upper parts 

 of a slate-blue, barred and spotted with black ; the wing-coverts are darker than 

 the mantle and edged with grey. The tail is grey, barred at the base with black, 

 and with a subterminal black band tipped with white. The throat and fore- 

 breast are white, tinged with buff, while the lower breast and flanks are white with 

 bluish grey tinge and barred with black. (PI. 141.) Length 15 in. [381'0 mm.]. The 

 cere, a large diamond-shaped area of skin round the eye, the eyelids and the legs are 

 chrome-yellow, while the iris is dark brown. The female is brownish slate above, 



