BIRDS OF PREY 143 



the boys were certainly not so noisy, and her tran- 

 quillity was not rudely disturbed by them. 



The peregrine ranks with the jer in" the falconer's 

 estimation. He is certainly a more tractable bird to 

 deal with than the jer ; he is better known, and, from 

 what I have been able to gather, is preferred to the 

 jer by those who are competent to judge. As to his 

 depredations on the grouse moors, that is a matter of 

 opinion about equally balanced. There are as many 

 for him as against him just now. My own vote is in 

 his favour. I would let him and others have free 

 range over all the grouse moors in the kingdom. 

 When so-called wise men try to improve natural 

 laws, they generally make a bungle of it. I know it 

 to be a fact that in some remote districts rarely 

 visited, and not preserved in any way, where eagles, 

 peregrines, and other members of the tribe are 

 common, the grouse are strong and in good packs ; 

 and that dread scourge of the moors, the disease in 

 grouse, is not known. 



The peregrine is also in request for natural history 

 purposes, and he fetches a good price, as one can tell 

 from the number one sees set up. 



That beautiful falcon, the hobby a peregrine in 

 miniature is rarely seen From my own slight 

 acquaintance with the bird I should say he is more 



