384 

 Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 



OsPEEY : Pandion haliceetus, Linn. 

 On the ISth. October, 1881, 1 saw a recently set up specimen in a shop in 

 Alnwick. It had been killed at Alnmouth a few days previously by a 

 fisherman, on whose shoulder it had suddenly alighted as he was going 

 home in the dark late one evening ; another fine example, a female, was 

 shot at Southern Knowe on the College water on 26th September, 1881. It 

 had been in the neighbourhood for ten days or a fortnight before it was 

 killed, and was well known to the shepherds, who tell me that it was 

 remarkably tame and fearless, often allowing them to approach, or pass 

 by, within a very short distance of it without taking alarm or flying away. 

 It was preserved by Mr Brotherston of Kelso, and is now in Mr Steel's 

 collection in that town. 



Peregrine : Falco peregrinus, Gmel. 

 On the 11th December last, while standing on the cliffs at Marshall 

 Meadows, my attention was arrested by a pair of these birds which were 

 wheeling round the bay, every now and then stooping at a bird upon the 

 water. After a short time one of the falcons, the raale, disappeared round 

 the point to the north and was no more seen, while the female, after a 

 few more stoops, alighted upon the cliffs which surround the bay. In a 

 few minutes the bird (which I now perceived to be a peewit) rose from the 

 water and began making for the shore, but this movement was no sooner 

 observed by the falcon than she immediately left her jDerch and gave chase 

 and the peewit was quickly again forced to take to the water, while the 

 falcon returned to the cliffs. A^ain and again did the plover rise and 

 attempt to gain the land and as often was it driven to seek shelter in the 

 water. At each attempt, however, it drew closer and closer to the shore, 

 and at last managed to scramble amongst the loose stones and rocks lying 

 at the water's edge. Having once gained this shelter, one would naturally 

 have supposed that it would have quietly remained there until the hawk 

 had gone away, but such was not the case, for no sooner had the falcon 

 returned to her post upon the cliifs, than the peewit again took wing and 

 keeping close to the ground made off round the corner of the cliffs, closely 

 pursued by the falcon, and both were soon lost to view. During the time 

 that I watched the birds — some quarter of an hour or 20 minutes — the 

 falcon might have easily struck the plover, but apparently was afraid to do 

 so while over the water or in such close proximity to the ground. The 

 peewit, when driven to the water, dived regularly and with apparent ease, 

 each time that the falcons stooped at it, using its wings as the motive power 

 for getting under water. As the pursuit continued along the shore the 

 birds passed within a few feet of a fisherman, who was engaged in gather- 

 ing bait upon the rocks, but nothing seemed to divert the attention of the 

 peregrine from her quarry. How long the chase lasted after the birds 

 disappeared from view, or how it would end of course can only be con- 

 jectured, but judging from what I saw I fancy that the plover when quite 

 exhausted, would find safety in at length remaining quiet under shelter of 

 some stone or rock, until the falcon, tired of waiting, should have gone on 

 to join her mate, or in search of some less erratic prey. 



