142 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs. 



Fa»iilY—F.i I. CONID^.. 



Peregrine Falcon. 



Falco peregi-iiius, TuNSTALL. 



THE Peregrine, the falconer's favourite, on account of its docility, courage, and 

 splendid flight, is still far from rare in the British Isles, although its eyries, 

 through persecution, become every year fewer in number. It chiefly loves to 

 frequent the loft}^ cliffs that tower above the sea ; all round our coasts there used, 

 formerl}-, to be no suitable station that was not tenanted by a pair of these noble 

 Falcons. But to-day many a fine headland is deserted, the Yorkshire coast on 

 the east, equally with that of Cardiganshire on the west, is said to have lost all 

 its native Peregrines, and it is to be feared that from many another wild sea-board 

 the same tale would have to be reported. In Scotland, and on its rocky Islands, 

 the Peregrine may still be almost as numerous as of yore, but the Blue Hawk, as 

 it is called, is looked upon as a deadl}' foe to the Grouse and, too often, finds no 

 mercy. 



The Peregrine is the most cosmopolitan of all the Falconidae, ranging 

 throughout the whole of Europe and Asia, while closely allied forms represent it 

 in N. America and N. Africa. Its migrations, northwards in the spring, of old 

 birds, southwards in the autumn, and then chiefly of the birds of the year, occasion 

 it to be noted in every part of the British Isles, and the habit of the old birds 

 of driving their young from the neighbourhood of their birth to find fresh hunting 

 grounds for themselves, also helps to ensure a visit to inland districts from the 

 wanderers. So fearless is the Peregrine that in curiosit3^ or through an interest 

 in sport, it will fly close up to the shooter, and does not always escape. When 

 gorged after a meal it Avill perch in a lethargic state upon a bank or rail, and 

 suffer Blackbird-shooting boys to do it to death. A splendid pair in the writer's 

 collection were slain in this unworthy fashion on the banks of the Barnstaple river. 

 One severe winter, when the writer was Woodcock shooting on Lundy Island, 

 hardly a couple of shots would be fired before the party of guns were joined by a 

 Peregrine, and soon after by a second, the Hawks keeping in close attendance, in the 

 technical phrase of falconry " waiting on " above the sportsmen and their dogs, and 

 when a Cock or Snipe was flushed, if it was missed, it had next to run the 



