PEREGRINE FALCON. 147 



with facility, while the more vigorous nnd active 

 escaped. Thus a sound stock survived for breed- 

 ing, and the result was a healthy progeny, free 

 from the admixture of a degenerate race of more 

 numerous descendants, naturally liable to epi- 

 demic disease and premature decay. Every old 

 grouse-shooter can call to mind how often in 

 former times, when the peregrine was of com- 

 paratively common occurrence, he has experienced 

 the vexation of seeing some of his wounded birds 

 carried off by that powerful falcon, evidently 

 selected as more easy victims than the rest of the 

 pack. No predacious bird equals this species in 

 courage and rapidity of flight. We may conclude, 

 then, that sickly or otherwise debilitated grouse 

 would generally fall to the share of the hen 

 harrier, Circus ci/ancus, formerly a common 

 species, and still the least rare of the larger 

 FalconidfC ; of the marsh harrier, Circus trrugi- 

 noKits ; of the common buz/ard, Hiiteo rulya r i ; 

 and of the kite, Milrutt rcgalis. 



When fishing in the Spey near Boat o' brig, 

 nbout five mile above Fochabers, I have frequently 

 seen the peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus. The 

 great hill of Ben Aigen has two large fissures on 

 the northern and north-western sides, which can 

 be distinctly seen from here, in the steep escarp- 



