Peregrine Falcon. 69 



of time, and scarcely a country in the world exists in which the 

 Peregrine has not been noticed by naturalists. Colonel Montagu, 

 speaking of this bird, with which he must have become very 

 familiar when residing in Wiltshire, computes its flight to be not 

 less than one hundred, or perhaps one hundred and fifty, miles an 

 hour. He says that the female, when a yearling, was termed a 

 'Red Falcon,' and the male a 'Red Tiercel;' and, when thoroughly 

 trained and docile, they were called ' Gentil,' or ' Gentle hawks.'* 

 When I penned my account of its occurrence in Wiltshire, just 

 thirty years ago, I was enabled to say that in this county we 

 might almost call it abundant. Indeed, so frequently was it 

 seen, that I then deemed it scarcely necessary to particularize 

 localities of its capture or occurrence. At that time I used to 

 see it quite frequently on the Roundway Downs, on the All 

 Cannings Downs, and on the downs between Marlborough and 

 Devizes. Notices, too, were sent me of its occurrence in almost 

 all parts of the county, and Mr. Withers, the able bird-stuffer, of 

 Devizes, had usually one in his hands. Mr. Stratton, of Gore 

 Cross Farm, above Lavington (who is a great lover of falcons, and 

 watches them keenly), assured me that his farm was seldom 

 without one, and that no sooner was one shot or trapped, than 

 another made her appearance in its place ; and as a proof of 

 their abundance, I extract the following interesting notes of his 

 success with these birds from a register kept by Mr. B. Hayward : 



Jan. 1, 1836. ! Peregrine (a Falcon) caught at Ramscliffe. 



March 28, 1842. Another (a Falcon) caught at ditto. 



Dec. 30, 1842. Another (a Falcon) at Ramscliffe. 



Dec. 8, 1849. Another (a male), weight lib. 6ozs. 



Nov. 9, 1850. Another (a male), weight Iflb. 



Jan. 22, 1853. Another (a Falcon), weight 2lb. 



The above extract proves two interesting facts the plentifulness 

 of the species in that locality, and the difference in size between 

 the female (called par excellence the Falcon), and the male (called 

 the Tiercel, as above described). But now they have become very 



Supplement to Ornithological Dictionary. 



