The hotel with a peregrine night watchman. 23 
CHAPTER III. 
LIFE IN THE OBSERVATION SHED. 
Y sharing our opportunities at the eyrie with friends, King 
and I in return received much valuable help. Not the 
least of these advantages was the ability, by means of a 
constant succession of lodgers, of keeping the birds under 
constant observation for thirteen days in succession. Although 
H. B. Booth apparently thought it necessary to provide himself 
with a camera of the press-the-button variety in order to qualify 
for a night’s lodging, he really showed us how watching ought to 
be done, and incidentally the want of windows at the side and 
back of the shed. He disapproves of my habit of using the 
adjective peregrine as a substantive. As he has also sinned in 
this respect, I did not think it tactful to allow him to revise 
his rough notes, which, written on the spot, give a graphic 
impression which could only be dimmed by polishing. 
H. B. Booth’s watch from 6.5 p.m., May 23rd, to 11.25 a.m., 
May 24th, as copied from his rough field notes. 
Atkinson came up with me to “ Peregrine Hotel’’ to relieve 
Edmondson, who reported that the Tiercel had been feeding 
strongly, having brought several birds, including a thrush, during 
the last two hours. It is strange that with this pair, and possibly 
with all Peregrines for anything I know, the male is the more 
courageous, and feeds the young in spite of this wooden structure 
being erected on the cliff-side, not three yards from the eyrie. It 
is exactly the opposite with the sparrow hawk as far as division of 
labour is concerned. At 6.5 p.m. my two friends bade me “‘ Good 
night,” and went down to the boat to return home, and I am left 
to soliloquise and take in my bearings. ‘‘ Peregrine Hotel,’ as we 
are all instructed to call it, is best described as a large box or 
glorified packing case about seven feet long by four feet wide and 
four feet deep, resting insecurely on trestles, but well lashed to the 
