THE KITE. 279 



aloft with such perfect ease that the only perceptible 

 motion was that of his tail, piloting him like a helm 

 in his aerial circles scrutinising, with his telescopic 

 eye, every field and valley where he might hope to find 

 a prey ; and then, suddenly lowering his flight and less- 

 ening his circles, gradually alight upon some object, so 

 small that it seemed scarcely possible he could have seen 

 it from such a height. 



Indeed, were the sight of the blue falcon and hen- 

 harrier equal to that of the kite, their havoc upon our 

 moors would be much greater than it now is ; but their 

 manner of seeking food is quite a contrast to his. In 

 beating the ground for prey, they, especially the latter, 

 seldom rise higher than twenty yards ; but, when once it 

 is sprung, their activity in pursuit is unrivalled. Per- 

 haps I may here be excused for digressing so far as 

 to mention an anecdote of the blue or peregrine falcon, 

 showing that it will beat game out of the heather, and 

 destroy it on the ground : many, I know, suppose it 

 never strikes but on wing. When out breaking a young 

 dog upon the Perthshire moors, I put up a grouse, which, 

 after flying some distance, was pursued by a blue falcon. 

 The poor grouse, seeing it had no chance, dropped down 

 in the heather ; but it was too late, the hawk was directly 

 above. It immediately alighted, searched the heather for 

 a minute, and presently the grouse fluttered out before it. 

 I saw the chase for about ten yards, when they ran behind 

 a hillock, and on my going up to the place, the falcon 

 rose, and there lay the grouse decapitated. 



