LXII. 

 FALCO PEREGHINUS. (linn.) 



Peregrine Falcon. 



The Peregrine Falcon is, I fear, like the rest of this no- 

 ble tribe of birds, daily drawing nearer to its total extinction 

 in this country. It is now only to be met with in those 

 places which are inaccessible to, or unvisited by, its extermi- 

 nating enemy, the gamekeeper. Its resort during the breed- 

 ing season is in those lofty and steep rocks which occur most 

 frequently upon the sea coast, upon the ledges of which it 

 makes but a slight nest, of a few sticks or coarse grass, and 

 lays four or five eggs, resembling those represented in the 

 plate, differing only from the figures there given, in being 

 sometimes rather smaller and of a lighter colour. 



For the egg drawn at Fig. 1, a variety showing more of 

 the light ground-colour than is often seen, I am indebted to 

 the Hon. Mrs. Liddell ; the other was very kindly sent me 

 by James Smith, Esq., rector of the Grammar School of 

 Banff, together with one very much lighter, and having all 

 the appearance of having been laid before it had received its 

 final colouring. These were taken, towards the end of April, 

 from the fine cliffs which bound the Murray Firth, there 

 being no nest whatever. 



The Rev. W. D. Fox informs me, that a pair of these 

 birds have frequented the rocks of the Isle of Wight, and 

 although annually plundered of their eggs, or young ones, 

 have, for many successive years, returned to the same spot ; 

 and, what is more remarkable, although one of the sexe?; has 

 been sometimes shot, the remaining bird has never failed to 

 bring with it a mate the following s[)ring. 



