86 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



some parts of the Highlands this Falcon may be 

 found breeding on the face of some towering storr 

 rock amongst the frowning hills. We had an in- 

 teresting experience of such a nest on the lofty storr 

 at Talisker, in Skye. This charming little spot 

 nestles in a hollow in the hills, is surrounded by 

 trees of goodly growth and a wealth of other vege- 

 tation literally an oasis among bare mountains and 

 upland moors. We used to sit out in the garden 

 and grounds there and watch the Peregrines about 

 their nest, which was situated in a gaping fissure 

 perhaps two-thirds of the distance up the face of the 

 cliff. A pair of Ravens also had their nest in the 

 same rock, together with numbers of Jackdaws and 

 Starlings. Whether the Peregrines respected the 

 lives of their more weakly neighbours we cannot 

 say, but the Ravens oft resented the near approach 

 of these Falcons, sallying out from the cliffs and 

 buffeting them in mid-air. Time after time we 

 watched these Falcons dart down from the higher 

 air with both wings closed and enter the fissure 

 which contained their nest. The late Mr. Cameron, 

 then residing at Talisker, informed me that these 

 Peregrines had frequented the rocks here for many 

 years, notwithstanding the fact that their eggs or 

 young were taken every season. At such a vast 

 height the Peregrines looked no bigger than Jack- 

 daws, whilst the latter birds resembled Starlings 



