26 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



the following incident taken from one of my note-books will 

 show: One evening in June, about eight years ago, as I lay 

 crouched behind some rocks on the sea shore near Girvan, watch- 

 ing a small flock of curlews feeding, a Peregrine made its 

 appearance under somewhat unusual circumstances. The occur- 

 rence took place about sunset, after the tide had gone back, 

 exposing a rich stretch of open sand, dotted here and there with 

 bits of smooth rock covered with green sea-weed. The sea being 

 smooth, the faint noise it made only added to the eerieness of the 

 twilight hour; and as the sun disappeared behind a bank of fleecy 

 purple clouds on the horizon, the peaked hills of Arran formed as 

 impressive a back ground as could be imagined. In a shallow 

 stretch of water, which a slight ridge of sand had appropriated 

 from the back-going waves, were six or eight curlews I had for 

 some time been watching; some were standing dozing, while 

 others were quietly probing the wet sand for hidden morsels 

 all being without any apparent suspicion of my near presence. 

 There they fed and rested in conscious security until the hues of 

 the sky illumined the place with a peculiar tint, colouring the 

 birds almost into the plumage of the glossy ibis. In the midst 

 of this singular transformation scene, heightened in its effect by 

 the dead stillness pervading all surrounding objects, I observed a 

 sudden alarm among the curlews; in a moment they crouched in 

 terror, uttering a strange but subdued cry, and in another second a 

 shadow passed over me; swift as lightning the head was torn off 

 one of their number, and a Peregrine rose with it, screaming shrilly 

 as if in despair at the neck giving way. Immediately he caught 

 sight of me, the head was dropped almost beside the quivering 

 body as it fell with a slight splash into the pool. Looking round, I 

 saw to my surprise another Falcon evidently his mate following 

 in his direction, so without casting one look upon the effects of this 

 sudden tragedy, he joined his comrade, and the two continued 

 their easy flight, homeward-bound Falcons, not much caring for 

 the disappointment.* 



* On mentioning this occurrence to Dr Dewar, he narrated to me a similar 

 incident that came tinder his notice in the case of his tame Falcons. He had 

 several merlins on their perches out of doors, and was in the act of teasing a 

 female Peregrine he had just let off by throwing up a lure and suddenly with- 

 drawing it, when, without a moment's warning, down came the angry bird 

 with an impetuous rush past his head, and off went the head of one of the 

 merlins, the executioner meanwhile rising into the air with shrill outcry as if 

 chiding its tormentor. 



