CH. V. PEREGRINE FALCONS — GOLDEN EAGLES. 71 



birds flew screaming over our heads. I did not 

 think of a plan that is adopted sometimes to 

 capture young peregrine falcons when the nest can- 

 not be reached without danger. It is very simple, 

 and succeeds with all the courageous kinds of 

 hawks. A person having reached the top of the 

 rock immediately above the nest, ties a rough blue 

 bonnet, or some similar substance, to a bundle of 

 heather the size of a man's head ; then dropping 

 this attached to a rope upon the nest, the young 

 falcons, instead of being frightened, immediately 

 attack it, and, sticking their talons into the cap, 

 hold on courageously and determinedly till they are 

 dragged up to the top of the cliff. Even then it is 

 sometimes necessary to cut the cap to pieces before 

 they will relinquish their hold. In this way the younw 

 birds are captured, without risk to the capturer or 

 injury to themselves. Indeed, on the present occa- 

 sion I was not very anxious to get them, as they 

 would probably only have been destroyed in tra- 

 velling. 



Between Loch Laighal and Tongue, on driving 

 round the corner of a rock, we suddenly came upon 

 two golden eagles who were hunting close to the 

 road. They were nearly within shot of us ; so, 

 leaving the horse and carriage to take care of them- 

 selves, we jumped out, gun in hand, to try to get 



