VOL. X. 



ALBION, N. Y., JUNE, 1893. 



NO. (J 



Taking the Eggs of the Peregrine Falcon. 



Although the Duck Hawk a isits an- 

 nually almost all parts of the United 

 States, still native sets of its eggs are 

 by no means frequently secured and 

 hence are often wanting even among 

 large collections. Some collectors con- 

 tent themselves with imported sets, 

 which are more easily obtained than 

 those collected within the United States 

 aud the eggs exhibited in our public 

 museums, etc., are usually of this type. 

 Nevertheless, sets of Duck Hawk's eggs 

 are occasionally found within our own 

 boundaries — as is demonstrated by the 

 fact that two beautiful sets have been 

 secured this yea?' by the writer aud 

 some friends. This bird builds its nest 

 in places that are almost inaccessible 

 and the taking of the eggs is usually at- 

 tended by all the difficulties and dan- 

 gers consequent upon cliff-climbing. 

 To render obvious some of these diffi- 

 culties, we will give a brief account of 

 the taking of the first set secured this 

 year. 



The Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus), 

 otherwise known as the "Great Footed 

 Hawk," is itself a most interesting bird. 

 Almost all ornithological writers have 

 dwelt with admiration upon its won- 

 derful power, its rapid flight, and its 

 great boldness and coimige. It is, 

 moreover, a beautiful bird, blending in 



ts plumage bluish-slate and ash gray 

 colors with darker tints, and showing 

 in front a white neck mottled with dark 

 longitudiual lines and a whitish breast 

 and belly marked throughout with 

 dark brown transverse bars. The 

 plumage of the two sexes is very simi- 

 lar but the female is smaller than the 



male. The Duck Hawk is nowhere a 

 common species. It resides throughout 

 the year in the Northeast and is more 



frequently observed in the neighbor- 

 hood of the sea coast than in the inter- 

 ior. It is a tern r to water-fowl which 

 constitute a large portion of its prey, 

 but they are by no means its only food. 

 The swoop of this falcon, when rushing 

 upon its quarry is remarkable both for 

 rapidity aud force, with almost in- 

 conceivable velocity it pursues its prey 

 through all its turnings and windings, 

 aud when within a few feet of its in- 

 tended victim protrudes its legs and 

 taloDS to their full extent, almost closes 

 its wings for a moment, and the next 

 instant grasps the prize aud bears it 

 away. Sometimes the prey soars into 

 the air, and seeks safety by trying to 

 keep above the falcon, until both are 

 lost to ordinary sight, but the falcon 

 soon gets uppermost and strikes its 

 victim at last. The strength of this 

 falcon is shown by the ease with which 

 it can carry through the air a bird of 

 fully its own weight. The cry of the 

 Duck Hawk is similar to that of the 

 Sparrow Hawk only much louder aud 

 more intense. The breeding season is 

 very early. Its nest — which is built on 

 ledges of high rocks, either along the 

 seacoast or on inland precipices and 

 ravines — is begun about the first of 

 April, and is constructed largely of 

 twigs, with some grasses and some- 

 times seaweed. The eggs, which are 

 from two to "four in number are almost 

 spherical in form, aud in color are red- 

 dish-brown covered with numerous 

 minute spots and blotches of darker 

 shade. 



Mt. Tom, in Hampshire County, 

 Mass. has doubtless been the bi:th- 

 place of many broods of young Duck 

 Hawks. Indeed, it is the opinion of 

 the writer that this species offale.65) 

 nested on this grand old mountain each 

 year for many decades. This opinion 



