26 BRITISH BIRDS. 



The Peregrine is of a very wandering disposition, and frequently goes 

 miles away from its accustomed haunt, often exploring the coast-line for 

 long distances in lazy soaring flight, ever and anon being mobbed by the 

 Gulls and Terns, or even the Carrion-Crows and the Hoodies, who seldom 

 fail to set up an uproar as soon as it makes its appearance. 



As a rule the Peregrine is a comparatively silent bird, save when 

 alarmed and to some extent a solitary one ; for although these birds live 

 in pairs, still they frequently hunt for sustenance alone, and are seldom 

 seen together except during the season of reproduction. 



Mr. Cordeaux informs me that " the Peregrine is a resident in North-east 

 Lincolnshire in the winter months. A pair invariably frequent the dis- 

 trict between Broadley Wood and Croxby Lake. They are mature birds, 

 and feed almost exclusively on Wood-Pigeons and the common Pigeons of 

 the dove-cotes, frequently showing great boldness in the capture of the 

 latter. The female, which I have seen at very close quarters, and in the 

 act of devouring a tame Pigeon, is a magnificent bird, the underparts 

 almost pure cream-coloured without a spot. On the coast I have seen the 

 Peregrine swoop at Curlews, but never successfully and never repeating 

 the swoop. The power of the Curlew on the wing is so great that it may 

 defy even the attempts of this swift-winged destroyer. Both old and 

 young frequently occur in autumn, in September and October, on mi- 

 gration." 



The breeding-season of the Peregrine commences early in April, the 

 young being often found in down by the beginning of May. Although 

 the birds pair for life, the same nesting-ground is not always tenanted 

 other situations being chosen, seemingly at the caprice of the bird. One 

 season it will be in one part of the cliff, the next in another, as though 

 the birds had several favourite places and used them each in turn. Its 

 nesting-sites are various : in some localities the nest is placed in the tallest 

 trees, notably so in Pomerania and the wooded districts of North Germany, 

 while in others it is amongst the most inaccessible rocks, as in our own 

 islands ; and in some countries, such as Finland and Lappland, the 

 ground alone is ofttimes chosen as a resting-place for it. The pair 

 of Peregrines that frequent the Bass Rock have chosen an admirable 

 situation for their nest, which is situated near the summit of the stupen- 

 dous cliff on the west side, where they have an almost boundless view 

 and are comparatively safe from their only enemy man. Dixon visited 

 this nest on the Bass, and writes as follows : " So soon as we reached the 

 neighbourhood of the nest the female bird dashed rapidly from it, uttering 

 her harsh chattering cry as she went, which speedily brought the male 

 bird upon the scene. As I was partly lowered and partly climbed down 

 the face of the rock, the scene around me was an impressive one, dear to 

 the heart of him who delights in nature and her works. Far down below, 



