LITTORAL LAND BIRDS. 263 



pile of sticks and branches, lined with dry grass, 

 wool, and other soft material. The two eggs, laid 

 in March or April, are white. This Eagle may be 

 distinguished from the Golden Eagle by its bare 

 tarsi. The note is a yelping or barking cry. Out- 

 side our limits, this bird is found in the northern 

 portions of Europe and Asia, from the Atlantic to 

 the Pacific. 



PEREGRINE FALCON. 



This bold and handsome bird, the Falco pere- 

 grinus of naturalists, in spite of much persecution, 

 still survives on many of our rocky coasts, becom- 

 ing most abundant in Scotland and Ireland. The 

 favourite resorts of the Peregrine are precipitous 

 cliffs, especially such as are constantly washed by 

 the sea. From these, it not only sallies in quest of 

 sea-birds, but flies inland to hunt for prey. The 

 dash and courage of the Peregrine are proverbial, 

 few birds, on land or sea, escaping from its fatal 

 swoop. Near the coast, the food of this Falcon is 

 largely composed of Ducks, Plovers, Sandpipers, 

 Pigeons, Partridges, sea fowl, and rabbits. The 

 flight of the Peregrine, when the bird is in the act 

 of chasing its prey, is rapid, and full of sudden 

 turns and twists, but at other times it is slow and 

 deliberate. Witness the aerial gyrations of this 

 species above its nesting-place, when it may be 

 seen soaring and wheeling in lofty flight. Its note, 

 heard principally in the vicinity of the nest, is a 

 oud, chattering cry. This Falcon probably pairs 



