THE PEREGEINE FALCON. 45 



under the wing, which must have happened when it was at 

 the greatest altitude, else the stroke would have been witnessed. 



Actions of Trained Falcons when at liberty. — So well trained 

 were these falcons, that the most intelligent were permitted to be 

 at large at Mr. Sinclaire's country -place, and one would remain 

 for hours together perched on the same spot. A lofty and beauti- 

 ful weeping-birch, whence a fine range of view was commanded, 

 was a favourite perch, but no matter where these birds were about 

 the place, the call of their master, or of the falconer, was imme- 

 diately attended to ; — in a moment they were with him. Ac- 

 customed to be fed in the hawk-yard, they depended on being pro- 

 vided with food there, instead of looking for prey ; but one fine 

 bird was an exception to this rule. On flying to the hawk -yard 

 at the Palls, or at Ballantrae, and finding no food on the " hack," 

 or board on which it is fastened, she would at once sally forth 

 to kill birds for herself. This falcon was so intelligent as to be 

 a particular favourite, and have her full liberty about Ballantrae. 

 She would take flights of several miles from the hawk-yard, and, 

 when ranging free as air, would, on seeing her master out shoot- 

 ing, fly with delight to him, alight on his head or shoulder, and 

 "put in" grouse for him. One day, when shooting with Lord 

 Orkney on his moor there, my friend, quite unaware of the prox- 

 imity of the falcon, fired at a gray hen,* which the hawk, at the 

 same moment, made a stoop at, and was struck by a grain of shot, 

 but fortunately was little injured.f 



Peregrine falcons have occasionally forgotten the proprieties, 

 and abused the liberty accorded to themj at the Falls. They have 

 killed Brent geese of full size, which, with one wing pinioned, 

 were kept on a pond ; a large domestic cock, too, was once attacked, 

 and would have been killed in another moment, had he not been 

 rescued. The following paragraph relates to what may be con- 

 sidered fair game. 



* Brown-/ierc or gr&y-ken are names applied to the female of the black grouse ; 

 the male being commonly called hfock-cock. 



f In the review of a work on Falconry, in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture for 

 December, 1842, p. 326, there is an extremely interesting account of a pet falcon. 



\ Watertou mentions wild peregrine falcons attacking the mallards and teal at 

 Walton Hall.— Essay on Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 199. 



