36 FALCONIDiE. 



the aid of a pocket-telescope, I had the satisfaction of identifying 

 his species with certainty. Again, on July the 13th, 1833, when 

 crossing the ferry near the junction of the river Bann with the 

 ocean, I was attracted by the near call of a curlew, and on looking 

 round, saw coming towards us what at first appeared to be two of 

 these birds, flying close together, just above the water. I was 

 surprised to see the foremost dip in the river like a swal- 

 low, fly on a short way, and then repose on the water : the other 

 bird, which proved to be a peregrine falcon, now gave up the 

 chase, and sweeping past us, alighted on the beach at some dis- 

 tance. The curlew now finding it was safe, rose from the river 

 and flew back in the direction whence it had been pursued. 



On the 12th of December, 1845, a wild "falcon" was ob- 

 served flying over the grounds of Tort William, near Belfast, 

 towards the bay, where some days before a tercel * was seen in 

 pursuit of a redshank- or dunlin, for a very longtime. When the 

 hawk made a swoop at its ' ' quarry '• on the bank, the redshank 

 dashed into the water ; but whenever its enemy retreated, the dry 

 land was sought again, and no sooner done, than the hawk endea- 

 voured to seize it. This proceeding was repeated on the part of 

 both, until eventually the hawk succeeded in capturing its victim 

 before it could reach the water. On the 16th of the same month, 

 a peregrine falcon, — most probably the same individual, — as the 

 visits of the species are very " few and far between," was shot 

 near Clifden, on the opposite side of the bay, when carrying off a 

 redshank. 



The finest chase by the peregrine falcon of which I have heard, 

 was communicated to me by Richard Langtry, Esq., on Ins re- 

 turn from Inverness-shire, after the shooting season of 1838. 

 On the first day, in the beginning of August, that he went out 

 from Aberarder towards Loch Ruthven, he observed an eyrie of 

 these birds in the mountain cliffs on its western side. Among 

 those which darkly beetle above Loch Cor, on the opposite side, 

 a pair formerly nestled. The old pair were seen that day. One 



* Tercel is the name applied in falconry to the male, as Falcon is to the female 

 of this species. 



