WITH THE PEREGRINE AND MERLIN 253 



arched above some ten or twelve feet by an over- 

 hanging boulder. Yes ; as I expected, young, but 

 only one, obviously hatched this very morn, and an 

 addle egg repose in the " scratching " (the Pere- 

 grine makes no nest), which is about a foot across, 

 and simply consists of the grass tufts which the bird 

 has furrowed up with her talons, the marks of which 

 are visible in the damp soil. A few of the Peregrine's 

 own feathers, rubbed off during incubation, and those 

 of another Carrier Pigeon litter the eyrie, the feeding- 

 ledge where the victims are feathered being situate 

 the other side. The keeper now hands me a camera, 

 and I take six snapshots as best I can. The addle 

 egg, very pyriform in shape, is of remarkably good 

 colouring considering it has been sat on for a month, 

 and is of a light yellowish red ground with darker 

 red mottlings. This egg could never have been 

 fertile, for on blowing it the liquid comes out of a 

 clear amber colour, with rather a musty smell, but 

 with none of the fearful odours which attend a fertile 

 egg "gone wrong." 



If it was difficult to reach the eyrie it is ten times 

 harder to retrace the steps, but at last, with some 

 manoeuvring, we are back on safer territory. 



On the way down we inspect the Raven's nest. 

 This must, we opine, be a second attempt (the first 

 clutch of eggs having been taken), for by this young 

 Ravens should have left their home, and the four 

 strapping fellows this eyrie contains will not be 

 ready to leave for at least another week. They are 

 perfectly inaccessible without the rope, though at 

 first blush the place does not look so bad. This 



