118 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



the irides are yellow. The upper parts of the head and 

 neck are bluish black ; the back has a lighter tinge of 

 lead-colour, crossed by scarcely perceptible blackish 

 bars; and the black whiskers are strongly developed. 

 The quill-feathers of the wings and tail are of a dusky 

 black ; the latter crossed by numerous ash-coloured 

 bars, and yellowish white at the tip. This last cha- 

 racter is, according to M. Savigny, uniformly indicative 

 of the species in all its stages. All the under parts are 

 white ; a series of transverse brownish bars commence 

 on the lower part of the breast and extend to the tail ; 

 the upper part of the breast is marked by a few longi- 

 tudinal streaks ; but the throat is entirely free. 



Such are the more usual modifications of colour in 

 the Peregrine Falcon, of which Mr. Wilson enumerates 

 no less than ten varieties, dependent chiefly upon age, 

 sex, and country. It is found, more or less abundantly, 

 throughout the whole of Europe, principally in the 

 mountain districts, in North and probably South Ame- 

 rica, and in New Holland, dwelling in the clefts of the 

 rocks, especially such as are exposed to the mid-day 

 sun. It breeds upon the cliffs in several parts of 

 England, but appears to be more common in Scotland. 

 During the winter, as Sir John Sebright informs us, 

 numbers of them take up their abode on Westminster 

 Abbey, and on other churches in the metropolis, and 

 make great havoc among the tame pigeons. Their food 

 consists principally of small birds, especially of the 

 Gallinaceous Order, but they scruple not to attack the 

 larger species, and sometimes give battle even to the 

 Kite. They rarely take their prey upon the ground, 

 like the more ignoble birds of the Order to which they 

 belong; but pounce upon it from aloft in a directly 

 perpendicular descent as it flies through the air, bear 

 it downwards by the united impulse of the strength and 



