52 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA 



72. FALCO PEREGRINUS ANATUM (Bonaparte). 

 DUCK HAWK. 



The first mention of this species by Dr. Avery is the 

 record of two individuals at Greensboro, Sept. 10, 1886 ; 

 the last record is of a single bird seen on the Gulf Coast 

 of Baldwin County, Sept. 22, 1892. The species was evi- 

 dently of considerable interest to the Doctor for he pub- 

 lished three articles concerning it. These are quoted 

 here in full. 



The first appeared under the title "Wiles of the Pere- 

 grine Falcon," and was published in the old "Ornitholo- 

 gist and Oologist which has long since expired. It fol- 

 lows: 



"While shooting one day, as I entered a large field, 

 my attention was attracted to a flock of killdeer, flying 

 high over head. They were as noisy as usual and flew 

 in different directions, as if they had been disturbed and 

 scattered. 



"Far below the killdeers, came rapidly towards me a 

 peregrine falcon, one eye glancing up at a killdeer many 

 feet above him. His long pointed wings beat the air 

 with short, quick strokes, as they bore him with increas- 

 ing speed till he reached a point just below his unwary 

 victim, when, as an arrow from a bow, he shot upwards, 

 passing not a foot ahead of the incoming killdeer. The 

 bird literally flew into the outstretched talons that seized 

 and bore it several hundred yards to the top of a tall 

 oak tree. 



"Not many minutes had elapsed before I was standing 

 under the tree. A well directed charge of No. 8 shot was 

 launched at the hawk; the killdeer fell from his grasp; 

 he fell to the under side of the limb on which he was 

 perched, quivered a few seconds, released his hold, and 

 followed his dead quarry to the ground. 



"On another occasion, I was shooting ducks in a slough 

 in the Warrior bottom, when I heard an unusual noise, 

 so loud and so continued was it that I took it to be the 

 scream of same large bird in distress a pileated wood- 

 pecker perhaps. I hastened towards the place whence 

 the cries proceeded. As I waded into the water, I saw 



