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the nest was soon again tenanted by a pair. These birds 

 are rather common; but the peregrine-falcon (Falco pere- 

 grinus) is rare, yet Mr. Thompson states that in Ireland 

 "if either an old male or female be killed in the breeding 

 season (not an uncommon circumstance), another mate is 

 found within a very few days, so that the eyries, notwith- 

 standing such casualties, are sure to turn out their comple- 

 ment of young." Mr. Jenner Weir has known the same 

 thing with the peregrine-falcons at Beachy Head. The 

 same observer informs me that three kestrels {Falco tin- 

 nunculus), all males, were killed one after the other while 

 attending the same nest; two of these were in mature 

 plumage, but the third was in the plumage of the pre- 

 vious year. Even with the rare golden eagle {Aquila 

 chrysaefos), Mr. Birkbeck was assured by a trustworthy 

 gamekeeper in Scotland that if one is killed another is 

 soon found. So with the white owl {Strix flammea), "the 

 survivor readily found a mate, and the mischief went on." 

 White, of Selborne, who gives the case of the owl, adds 

 that he knew a man who, from believing that partridges 

 when paired were disturbed by the males fighting, used to 

 shoot them; and though he had widowed the same female 

 several times, she always soon found a fresh partner. This 

 same naturalist ordered the sparrows which deprived the 

 house -martins of their nests to be shot; but the one which 

 was left, "be it cock or hen, presently procured a mate, and 

 so for several times following." I could add analogous 

 cases relating to the chaffinch, nightingale, and redstart. 

 With respect to the latter bird {Phoenicura ruticilla), a 

 writer expresses much surprise how the sitting female could 

 so soon have given efiectual notice that she was a widow, 

 for the species was not common in the neighborhood. 

 Mr. Jenner Weir has mentioned to me a nearly similar case; 

 at Blackheath he never sees or hears the note of the wild 

 bullfinch, yet when one of his caged males has died, a wild 

 one in the course of a few days has generally come and 

 perched near the widowed female, whose call-note is not 



