454 



FALCON. 



her prey as before, was equally foiled, and again re- 

 ceived a severe check from the bill of the heron. 

 Finding her efforts had failed for want of the advan- 

 tages nature had assigned her, instinct directed the 

 falcon to a box that stood on the opposite side of the 

 room, which was somewhat higher. Here she again 

 seemed to meditate another attack by watching every 

 motion of the heron, who continued his rounds with a 

 view to make his escape ; and it was not long before 

 an opportunity offered for falco to make an assault 

 from her more elevated station. Here she had found 

 an humble substitute for those powers with which 

 nature had so amply furnished her, but of which she 

 had been deprived, and at last succeeded in springing 

 from her perch and seizing the unfortunate heron by 

 the head and upper part of the neck with her talons, 

 which instantly brought him to the ground. Now 

 the unequal contest was soon determined ; for in vain 

 did the superior weight and strength of the heron drag 

 and flounder with his enemy across the floor ; in vain 

 did he flap his unwieldy piniohs to shake off the 

 tyrant of the air 5 nor could even his gigantic legs 

 force her from the bloody grasp ; her work was short 

 and certain ; no efforts could compel her now to quit 

 her deadly gripe ; the powerful and only dreaded 

 arms of her antagonist were secured, and, thus dis- 

 armed, he became a sure and easy prey. Scarcely 

 was the gigantic bird prostrate on the ground, thari 

 death ensued ; for in this noble race, destined for 

 blood and slaughter, torture makes no part of its 

 nature, but, like what we are told of the generous 

 lion, exulting in death, but disdaining cruelty, in 

 less than half a minute did the falcon tear out the 

 gullet and windpipe of the heron, and regale on the 

 head and neck." 



It has often been said that the American bird of 

 prey, popularly known in the United States as the 

 duck hawk, is the same species as the peregrine falcon 

 of Europe ; but this seems doubtful, and indeed, with 

 the exception of the osprey, it is questionable whether 

 the same species of any bird of prey is found in the 

 two continents ; or if the same in origin, it is so much 

 altered by climate and circumstances, as to form a 

 variety at all events, if not a distinct species. Wilson 

 says that the American bird, during the breeding 

 season, retires to the gloomy recesses and swamps oi 

 the cedar forests, in the tall trees of which it con- 

 structs its nest, and rears its young secure from moles- 

 tation. In these wilds, almost impenetrable to the 

 foot of man, its screams are occasionally heard min- 

 gling with the hoarse tones of the heron and the hoot- 

 ing of the eagle owl. In this respect, and several 

 others, the American duck hawk seems to differ from 

 our peregrine falcon. The anecdotes related of the 

 dexterity and prowess of this noble bird are innume- 

 rable ; a writer, in a popular periodical, describes one 

 pursuing a razor-bill, which, instead of assaulting as 

 usual with the death pounce from the beak, he seized 

 by the head with both claws, and made towards the 

 land, his prisoner croaking, screaming, and struggling 

 lustily, but being a heavy bird he so far overbalancec 

 the aggressor that both descended fast towards the 

 sea, when, just as they touched the water, the falcon 

 let go his hold and ascended, the razor-bill as instan- 

 taneously diving below. The nest is generally placec 

 upon the shelf of a rock, iri which the bird lays four 

 or five eggs of a reddish brown colour, a little blotched 

 and variegated. 



The peregrine falcon appears, in different indi 



iduals, and at different ages, of so many shades in 

 he general colouring, that it has got, perhaps, more 

 names than any other bird ; and some of those single 

 specimens which have been shot in different remote 

 )arts of the world, without any knowledge whatever 

 of their manners, and which have been described as 

 seregrine falcons, in all probability belonging to other 

 yenera. 



The LANNER (Falco lanarias), is a species about 

 which there are some doubts ; though the descriptions 

 of it are so precise, and have been so often repeated, 

 that it' it is a variety of the peregrine it differs greatly 

 from the general appearance of that bird ; though it 

 must be admitted that the young are described ai 

 being very like those of the peregrine. The lanner 

 is described as being rather larger than the peregrine, 

 though smaller than the common buzzard. It is said 

 to measure about twenty inches in length, and up- 

 wards of forty in the extent of the wings. According 

 to Temminek, the closed wings reach to two-thirds 

 the length of the tail ; the middle toe is shorter than 

 the tarsus ; there is a black streak belo\V the eye, which 

 nearly or wholly disappears in the mature birds ; the 

 eggs are of a bluish colour, while those of the pere- 

 grine are yellow ; and the first and second quills of 

 the wings have their webs very narrow. It is said to 

 occur in many parts of Europe* inhabiting Iceland 

 and the Feroe Islands, Denmark, Sweden, the Tar- 

 tarian deserts, and breeding in the vicinity of As- 

 trachan. It is rarely niet with in this island ; but 

 it is said to breed in Ireland. In Hungary it is pretty 

 common, likewise in Poland, Russia, Austria, and 

 Styria. In general they build their nests in hilly 

 situations, either among rocks, or trees and brush- 

 wood. Though the lanner is a bold bird, and was 

 formerly used in falconry, few particulars are recorded 

 of its manners and habits. 



The HoBBir (Falco subbuteo), is a very handsome 

 little bird, very much resembling the peregrine Falcon 

 in shape and also in manners, though from its smaller 

 size it subsists on hurhbler prey ; and it is also more 

 gaily coloured than its more powerful conqueror. The 

 male hobby weighs about seven ounces ; and is about 

 twelve inches in length. The following are the gene- 

 ral markings, but they are subject to differences, both 

 from age and in the individual. The female is con- 

 siderably larger than the male, weighing two or three 

 ounces more ; and, though thete is a very consider- 

 able resemblance in the general plumage, the upper 

 part is not so dark as in the male, and the light parts 

 have less of the rust-coloured tint. The male has the 

 bill blue ; cere and orbits yellow ; irides dusky ; the 

 head and upper parts of the body are of a dark dusky 

 brown, almost black, dashed with ash-colour ; the 

 feathers margined with pale rufous broU'h \ over the 

 eye a light stroke ; beneath the eye a black patch, 

 extending in a point from the Under mandible down 

 each side of the throat ; chin and throat white, ex- 

 tending round each side of the neck, and partly encir- 

 cles it, but is broken behind by dusky streaks, and 

 the white becomes more ferruginous as it inclines' 

 backward ; the coverts of the wings like the back, but 

 the feathers more slightly edged ; quill-feathers dusky 

 black, with oval ferruginous spots on the inner webs ; 

 the breast, belly, thighs, arid under tail-coverts ferru- 

 ginous, palest on the former, marked with dusky 

 streaks ; the tail like the back, barred on the inner 

 webs with rust colour, except the middle feathers ; 

 tips whitish ; legs yellow ; claws black, The female 



