Natural History of Ireland. 57 



Kestrel — Falco tinJiunculus, Linnaeus. — Tliis species is common 

 and resident in Ireland, and is of more frequent occurrence in the 

 north than any of the Falconidse. It is met Avith about all our in- 

 land and marine cliffs, and builds within their fissures. Throughout 

 the whole range of noble basaltic precipices in the north-east of Ire- 

 land, I have remarked its presence. In trees, church towers,* &c. 

 it also builds with us. The kestrel has been so far trained by Mr 

 William Sinclaire as, when given its liberty, to attend and soar above 

 him like the peregrine falcon, and fly at small birds let off from the 

 hand. One of these hawks, which was kept by this gentleman in 

 the town of Belfast, had its freedom, and flew every evening to roost 

 in an extensive plantation in the country, about a mile distant, in 

 flying to and from which it was at first recognized by the sound of 

 the bells attached to its legs. This bird returned regularly to its 

 town domicile at an early hour in the morning. 



Mr R. Langtry has often seen a wild kestrel rise from the enclo- 

 sure in which his eagles, &c. are kept, but never having observed it 

 to carry away any food, knows not whether this, or curiosity (which 

 we often see displayed by birds,) may have been the object of its 

 visit. 



Often as I have seen the swallows follow in the train of birds 

 of prey, I never but in the following instance saw one of them be- 

 come the pursued. On September the 22d 1832, when walking 

 with a friend in the garden at Wolfhill, near Belfast, a male kes- 

 trel, in close pursuit of a swallow (Hirundo rustica) appeared in 

 sight over the hedge-row, and continuing the chase with extreme 

 ferocity, lost not the least way by the swallow's turnings, but kept 

 within about a foot of it all the time, at one moment passing within 

 five or six yards of our heads. It is idle to conjecture how long the 

 foray may have lasted before we witnessed it, but immediately on 

 the kestrel's giving up the chase, the swallow, nothing daunted, be- 

 came again, accompanied by many of its species, its pursuer and 

 tormentor, and so continued until they all disappeared. The kes- 

 trel was probably forced to this chase by the particular annoyance 

 of the swallows, they and the martins, (Hirundo urbica,) being more 

 numerous this day at Wolfhill, than they had been at any time 

 during the season. 



(To be conimued.J 



* The only place of this kind in the vicinity of Belfast that, I know to be 

 selected for the purpose is the tower of Ballylesson church, which, of the many 

 edifices of this description in our populous neighbourhood, is the only one which 

 contains a set of musical bells. 



