The Pereckine Falcon. us 



gauntlet of the two birds who between ihciii generally secured it. Sometimes a 

 wounded Cock was pounced upon and carried off right in front of the shooters, 

 to whose guns the Peregrines were sacred. Tlie writer once watched a Peregrine 

 pursuing and stooping at a Pigeon near a farm-house upon the coast ; when it 

 missed its stoop it was joined by its mate, and tlien the two Falcons together 

 attempted the capture, but the Pigeon saved itself b}' taking refuge in a hole in 

 the cliff, and its enemies, with a loud cry of anger and disappointment, swept out 

 over the sea. Often on the shore the Peregrine may be seen darting down upon 

 a flock of Wigeon, and striking one of them with its deadly hind talon bear it 

 off to a sand-bank to be devoured. Sometimes lesser game will content it, and it 

 will harry the flocks of Ring-Plover and Dunlin upon the oozes. But there is 

 nothing the Peregrine will not fly at ; it will drive off the Eagle passing its 

 eyrie ; the writer once saw a trained Tiercel * when flown on the North Devon 

 coast make a dash at a Great Northern Diver that was passing, and Lord Lilford, 

 in Albania, saw a Peregrine fly at and " hustle " an Eagle Owl. The Peregrine 

 preys largely upon cliff" birds, the comical little Puffin provides a favourite meal, 

 so do the noisy Jackdaws or the Rock Doves ; sweeping with powerful flight over 

 the moors it strikes down Grouse and Partridges or, var3ang its diet, the blue 

 hare and the rabbit. 



The nest of the Peregrine is generall}- placed upon a ledge of the cliffs looking 

 down upon the sea, often beneath an overhanging crag ; sometimes it is on a rock 

 inland, sometimes an old nest of the Raven or Carrion Crow is occupied ; some- 

 times high buildings are chosen for the site — Salisbury- Cathedral has for man}- 

 years provided an eyrie on its spire which is still tenanted, and the Peregrines 

 are carefully protected by the Dean. On the Continent the nest is frequently 

 found in a tree. The Peregrine loves company; few of the large breeding stations 

 of cliff-birds are without this dangerous neighbour, to whose presence in their 

 midst they are quite indifferent. No nest is made; some cavit}' of the rock sufi&ces, 

 where a little loose clayey earth has been deposited. Here the eggs are laid about 

 the first week in April, both male and female incubating them in turn ; the male 

 has been known to hatch and rear the young after the female has been killed. 

 They are devoted parents, nor wdll they, if fired at, desert their 3-oung. Mr. 

 Tracy, of Pembroke, has given, in the Zoologist, a good description of the nests 

 of the Peregrine on the Pembrokeshire coast : — " In almost ever}^ instance where 

 I observed a nest the following birds have had nests in the immediate ^■icinity 

 that is within loo or 150 yards: the Guillemot and Razorbill, in immense 



• The Tiercel is the male bird ; the female is the Falcon ; the young birds axe Eyases, in the language 

 of falconry. 



