OCT. PEREGRINE CHASING A MALLARD. 11 



the fields, which are clear of corn, and also to feed 

 on the plovers, etc., which frequent the shore. I 

 sometimes see the peregrine in pursuit of wild- 

 ducks ; and one day I observed a hawk of this kind 

 give chase to an old mallard. The pursuit was 

 rather curious, reversing the usual order of things, 

 as the falcon's great object was to keep below the 

 mallard instead of above him; the latter endeavour- 

 ing all he could to get to the water, in which case he 

 knew, as the hawk did also, that his chance of 

 escape would be the greatest. Once in the water, 

 his own element, by diving and swimming he would 

 soon have baffled his pursuer. I don't know what 

 was the end of the chase ; the last I saw of them 

 they were winging their rapid flight straight across 

 the sea for the opposite coast of Ross-shire. Either 

 the hawk was not willing to strike his prey while 

 over the water, or the mallard had a vigour of wing 

 which enabled him to keep ahead of his murderous 

 enemy. 



My tame peregrine, after some years spent in 

 perfect friendship and alliance with our pet owl, 

 ended in killing and eating her ; a piece of un- 

 generous barbarism which I should not have sus- 

 pected so fine a bird would have committed. They 

 seemed to have quarrelled over the remains of some 

 bird that was given them. At any rate all that 



