PEREGRINE FALCON. 27 



In its wanderings along shore the Peregrine is sometimes beset 

 by the larger sea gulls and other birds, just as I have seen the 

 kestrel and little merlin buffeted by swallows, wagtails, and other 

 small assailants, whose impudent boldness is so often allowed to 

 pass unpunished. Writing from lona, Mr Graham says: "It is 

 frequently seen along the coast here hunting for ducks, rock 

 pigeons, and the lesser sea gulls (if they are not flying over the 

 water), but I never discovered any nesting place, though I have 

 seen the old birds hunting at the time of the year when they might 

 be supposed to have nestlings. The presence of a Peregrine is 

 often announced by an unusual clamour among the hooded crows, 

 who leave their search for shell-fish among the rocks to follow the 

 nobler rogue with their vulgar uproar; and as the word is passed 

 along the beach, the mob increases in numbers and audacity, till 

 the Falcon is fairly rabbled out of their district. A Peregrine who 

 had just struck a red-legged crow was thus assailed, and so dis- 

 tracted by their unusual pertinacity (probably on account of the 

 red-leg being one of their cloth) that I walked up and shot him in 

 mid air, holding his prey in one claw while the other was held 

 ready to give the death blow to any assailant, should he venture 

 within reach of his grip, which they took very good care not to 

 do." 



Notwithstanding all that has been said by recent American 

 writers on the distinctions between the European Peregrine and 

 that of the North American continent, I confess that I have never 

 been able to discover any sufficient grounds for their separation. 

 The late Mr Cassin of Philadelphia, in his description of the two 

 birds, which he considers distinct from the Peregrine of the old 

 world, viz., F. analum and F. nigriceps, appears to think the for- 

 mer larger than our bird, and the latter the smallest of the three, 

 size alone being apparently his guide. During a long experience, 

 however, among the Peregrines of western Scotland, I have always 

 believed that there could not be a more unreliable test than mere 

 dimensions, some birds, even of the same sex, being almost twice 

 the weight of others. Sir William Jardine gives the following 

 measurements: "Male nearly 16 inches in length, and 12 J inches 

 from shoulder to tip of second quill. Female, length about 19 

 inches; from shoulder to tip of second quill, 14 inches." Yarrell 

 says:" The whole length of an adult Peregrine Falcon is from 15 

 to 18 inches, depending on the sex and age of the bird;" while 



