502 Mr. C. Collier on the Birds 



mankind: — On August 8tb, 1901, a large Peregrine flew 

 after an Arctic Tern ; they ringed to a great height, the 

 Falcon stooping twelve times. The Tern, apparently with 

 little effort, avoided every stoop, and kept up its continuous 

 scolding note the whole time. 



On September 21th, 1898, when 1 was walking in line 

 shooting, a hen Pheasant was put up from a bed of bracken 

 and wheeled back over us ; a small Peregrine which was 

 passing at once flew after her, crossing about forty feet 

 over our heads. The Pheasant only just got to cover in 

 time, apparently tumbling more than Hying into the thick 

 bracken. 



Merlin. Fulco tesalon. 



One or two pairs take up their quarters every year on 

 some part of the ground ; they do not appear to have any 

 favourite spot. 



Kestrel. Tinnunculus alaudarius. 



Plentiful. One pair nested in 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 

 and 1901, in the same hole in a cliff. I am not sure what 

 happened in the summer of 1900, as 1 was away. 



Cormorant. Phatacrocorax carbo. 



This species is nothing like so numerous as the Shag. On 

 returning to their roosting-plaee, Cormorants can generally 

 be distinguished from Shags by their Hying at a much 

 greater height : they will also cut off corners, by crossing 

 necks of land, a thing which a Shag is loth to do. 



Shag. Plialacrocorax yraculus. 



These birds frequent the shore in large numbers, a con- 

 siderable colony nesting in a cave and on the ledges outside it. 

 The same cave is used as a roosting-placc during the winter. 



Gannet. Sula bassana. 



Fairly common all through the summer, while an increase 

 in numbers occurs during the autumn. The herring-supply 

 seems to regulate the quantity arriving, as in good years 

 they are plentiful and in bad seasons scarce. Immature 

 specimens are rarely observed. 



