448 THE GEOUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



be mentioned; the two first named are particularly destructive, but are now 

 so rare that they may be disregarded by the moor-owner. The hedgehog 

 is by no means uncommon on many moors, and is without doubt an occasional 

 egg-stealer. The domestic cat run wild is, of course, a danger, but he is not 

 met so frequently on the open moor as in the hedgerows and coverts near 

 the habitations of man. 



The peregrine must be bracketted equal to the fox and the hooded crow 

 in the list of noxious vermin. He is the shyest of all the hawks, and 

 builds in the most inaccessible places; the quickest to kill as well 

 as the readiest to escape with his prey. No British bird has an 

 easier power of flight or more enjoyment in his strength ; he seems to revel 

 in his accuracy of eye, and will strike off the head of a Grouse, pass over it, 

 swoop again, and catch the carcass before it has reached the ground. The 

 peregrine kills for sport or for revenge, and will strike down an unoffend- 

 ing crow or jackdaw that has built too near his nest, and not even descend 

 to see where his victim has fallen ; at other times he will hunt his terrified 

 victim round and round a glade or corrie, striking over and under until 

 the amusement palls. The peregrine is difficult to trap, no bait will attract 

 him, for he scorns to touch any dead bird or beast which he has not killed him- 

 self. 



It cannot be argued on strictly utilitarian grounds that the peregrine 

 has much to go down on the credit side ; when feeding his young he probably 

 averages his brace of nesting Grouse a day, as the heaps of neatly plucked 

 feathers left on the moor plainly testify. It is hoped, however, that owners 

 of Grouse moors will always leave a few of these beautiful slate-coloured 

 pillagers on some of the wilder and less accessible spots. 



For the hooded crow no plea can be made. He is not only the worst 

 but the most widely distributed of vermin. Annually he comes up in his 

 Hooded hundreds from his recruiting ground by the sea, and if not watched 

 crow. an( j destroyed will do incalculable harm both to young birds and 

 eggs. His reputation dates from pre-sporting days. The Celtic name of the 

 bird is " flannag," which means "kill" or "slay." A Morayshire proverb 

 says: "The Guile, the Gordon and the hooded crow are the three worst 

 things Moray ever saw." This is a high testimonial of rascality from a 

 place known to old-time raiders as " The laich of Moray, where all men have 

 their prey." 



