

the whole of Asia down to Java and Sumatra, and in the Nearctic Eegion from the Hudson's 

 Bay territory as far south as the Argentine Confederation. 



It is still found in Great Britain, though in greatly diminished numbers compared with 

 what it formerly used to be. Professor Newton (Yarr. Brit. B. ed. iv. p. 59) writes as follows: — 

 " In this country it still breeds, chiefly on the cliffs of the sea-coast throughout the south of 

 England, from Cornwall to Kent. Formerly there was annually a nest in the cliff at Hunstanton, 

 and one in the steeple of Corton church in Suffolk ; and it is registered by Mr. More as breeding 

 until a few years ago in the district of the Severn, where, indeed, it may possibly still be found 

 as an occasional permanent inhabitant. On the coast of Wales, particularly in the south-west 

 and north of the principality, it may be regarded as breeding regularly, and again from Yorkshire 

 northward to the Shetlands ; but it is far more thinly scattered in the south than in the north of 

 Great Britain, and is not at all unfrequent on the rocky headlands of the north and west coasts." 

 With respect to its occurrence on the south coast of England I am informed by Mr. Gatcombe 

 that " it is occasionally both shot and trapped in the neighbourhood of Plymouth, and a few 

 still breed on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. In May last one took up its quarters in the 

 midst of a colony of breeding Herring-Gulls among the cliffs at Wembury, near the mouth of 

 the river Yealm, a few miles from Plymouth, where I feel almost sure it also had a nest, from 

 the anxiety it seemed to show, constantly flying round and round one particular spot, and making 

 a tremendous noise until I left the place. It was often attacked by a Raven breeding in the 

 vicinity; and an irate Herring-Gull would now and then try to drive it off; but the Falcon would 

 persistently return to the same spot. A pair used to nest annually at Beer Head, on the coast 

 near Sidmouth ; and a few months since the remains of a fine specimen were sent to me from 

 Seaton in the same locality. I have within the last few years examined several examples, 

 both adult and young, which have been sent to our bird-stuffers, and a few nestlings in the 

 down, alive." 



It may still breed, 1 believe, in the Isle of Wight ; and Mr. G. Dawson Rowley, writing in 

 1860, says (Ibis, 1860, p. 200) that three nests came under his notice — one in the cliff near 

 Seaford, and two at the back of the Isle of Wight. " Four eggs were obtained at Freshwater, 

 and both Falcon and Tiercel, alas! caught in one day." Writing respecting its occurrence in 

 Dorsetshire, Mr. J. C. Mansel-Pleydell says that it " breeds at Gadcliff in Purbeck, and further 

 westward at Whitenore. It would probably have been extirpated long ago but for the inaccessi- 

 bility of its strongholds of refuge ;" and Mr. Cecil Smith informs me that it would be tolerably 

 common in Somersetshire were it not for the gamekeepers, who shoot and trap it on every 

 possible occasion. In spite, however, of this constant persecution, a few pairs breed every year 

 in such parts of the county as are suited to them. Writing to me from Oundle, Northants, 

 Lord Lilford says, " I am persuaded that this splendid Falcon is much more common in England 

 than is generally believed, although no doubt many of its former breeding-places on our coasts 

 are now no longer tenanted ; we have a large share of the autumnal passage of Falcons from the 

 north, which in days gone by supplied Europe with these birds caught on the heaths of the 

 Netherlands. In this county (Northants), from about the time of the autumnal equinox till 

 the end of April, and occasionally much later, I can make pretty sure of seeing one or two 

 Peregrine Falcons any day. Their principal quarry in this neighbourhood consists of wild fowl 



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