THE KITE. 91 



piloting him like a helm in his aerial circles scrutinizing, 

 with his telescopic eye, every field and valley where he 

 might hope to find a prey, and then, suddenly lowering 

 his flight and lessening 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, beat 

 about 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. 



