242 

 Notes on Birds. By Dr Charles Stuart, Chirnside. 



The Peregrine Falcon. — The Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus of 

 Latham and Fleming), builds in two localities in the County of Berwick — 

 St Abb's Head and Fast Castle ; also on the Bass Rock, in the Firth of 

 Forth, in E. Lothian. About sixty years ago, the Blue braes overhanging 

 the Whitadder, near Hutton in Berwickshire, was another breeding place ; 

 and my brother-in-law, the late Abraham Edgar of Hutton Manse, was 

 let over the rock there, with a rope, and secured the young ones. 

 From being molested they have left the Blue braes for many years. Mr 

 John Wilson, late of Edington Mains, recollects of their being in the rocks 

 at that locality quite well. Fast Castle is built on a very high cliff, over- 

 hanging the sea, and is "the Wolf's Crag" of the Bride of Lammermoor. 

 It is situated about six miles across the moors from Grant's House Station, 

 on the N. B. Railway, and a few miles along the coast from St Abb's 

 Head. The Peregrine builds regularly every year in these cliffs, and its 

 young, as a rule, are fit to fly by the 21st June. Various devices have 

 been adopted to secure their young by persons interested in hawking. A 

 friend living at the farm of Dowlaw, close to Fast Castle, informed me that 

 he hit upon a plan about the year 1865, by which he secured three young 

 birds. The cliff is a most inaccessible one, even for the most daring crags- 

 man. Having got several men to assist, he accurately made ont the exact 

 measure from the cleft of the rock, where the nest was built, to the sum- 

 mit of the rock. Attaching a cottoned-fleece* of wool to the end of a rope, 

 and another long rope to the fleece at its lower edge, he went clown by a 

 steep path to the beach. Here he got two men to hold a blanket extended, 

 to catch, if necessary, any of the young birds if dislodged, and unable to 

 sustain themselves. The fleece was now lowered opposite the nest, and 

 the long rope attached to the other end of the fleece was laid hold of 

 by a man on the beach. Moving it backwards and forwards, the fleece 

 came close to the young birds, who struck at it with their talons and 

 trapped themselves, being unable to release their hold, and were drawn 

 up to the summit. One fell to the bottom and was killed. The tlrreo 

 birds were successfully reared, and became very tame for a time. Mr 

 Smith of Hoprig, near Cockbnrnspath, got a pair of these birds— -and no 

 finer specimens could be seen. They would take long flights and return 

 to their master, who used a lure of two pigeons' wings fixed on a piece of 

 lead, to induce them to come and sit, upon his arm. They had a sad fate 

 however. Being from home one day, he directed his servant to feed 

 them, by splitting a rabbit in two, and giving each a half. The servant 

 did so, but neglecting to give each bird his share, in her absence they 

 quarrelled over their food, and were found dead next day, with their talons 

 buried in each other. 



The third bird that was secured was reared by my friend, who had a 

 piece of coloured leather with a ring i n it put round its leg. He chased 



*A cottoned-fleece is taken from a sheep out of health, where the wool is all 

 matted together. 



