BIRDS OF PREY AND OWLS 



mainly, if not entirely, of insects. The members of 

 the Falcon Tribe may be distinguished from the 

 majority of the larger hawks by the fact that the 

 eyes are dark hazel-brown instead of yellow, and 

 that the bare, yellow, waxy-looking band of skin at 

 the base of the beak, so characteristic of the Birds 

 of Prey, is not sharply defined, but scantily clothed 

 with fine bristles, passing insensibly into the feathers 

 of the crown of the head. 



Some of the best-known members of this section 

 of the group are the PEREGRINE and JER-FALCONS, 

 and the KESTREL, HOBBY, and MERLIN. Only the 

 peregrine and the kestrel, however, can now be called 

 common. 



The PEREGRINE is the falcon held so much in 

 esteem by falconers, by whom the female only was 

 called the "falcon," the male, which is smaller, being 

 known as a "tiercel." The female was used for the 

 capture of the larger game, such as herons and rooks ; 

 whilst the male was flown only at partridges, and 

 sometimes magpies. 



In a wild state the peregrine falcon is regarded 

 by other birds with the greatest fear and terror. 

 Ducks feeding on the banks of streams or lakes, on 

 perceiving it, immediately take to the water ; whilst 

 plovers and lapwings rise to an immense height in 



the air,and 

 remain 

 there for 

 hours. Mr. 

 U s s h e r, 



Ph,t, bf W. f. Dando, F.Z.S.] lR< e int'i farl. 



ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD 



Frequent in the British Islands 



Phot, bf If. P. DanJi, F.Z.S. 



MARTIAL HAWK-EAGLE 



Tke Haivk-eagles show a marked preference for 

 woody districts 



who has had many opportunities of studying this bird 

 in Ireland, where it is quite common, relates an in- 

 stance of the tenacity with which it follows its prey, 

 in this case a lapwing. "The falcon," he says, "after 

 several stoops, cleverly avoided by the lapwing, was 

 so near clutching, that the poor bird, quite worn out, 

 dropped into the water, and the falcon, after rising 

 from her stoop, poised a moment on her wings, and 

 then quietly lowering herself with extended legs, lifted 

 the lapwing from the water and bore her off." 



The eyrie is generally found half-way up some 

 precipitous cliff: no nest is made, but the eggs are 

 laid on the earth or gravel covering the selected ledge. 

 When eggs are found in a nest, the latter has always 

 been taken from some other bird, even the eagle being 

 occasionally dispossessed. Three or four eggs are laid, 

 which are very beautiful and variable in their colora- 

 tion. The young are attended by their parents long 

 after they are able to fly. 



The JER-FALCONS are birds of large size and great 



