136 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
12, PEREGRINE FaLcon, Fako peregrinus, Gmel. 
Our first Peregrine caused great excitement on board. It 
was a gorged bird, sleeping off a meal of Wild Duck on the 
sands. My companions were quite sure it was a Greek 
Partridge, a species we had seen a day or two before in 
Alexandria, and really it was not easy at a distance to say 
what it was. The Diabeyha was stopped, and “my noble, 
generous Falcon” circumvented and slain, when she proved 
to have inside her not only the Duck, but also some grain, 
Duck and green peas would have been more proper, but 
Ducks and grain were her fare on this occasion; and the 
explanation probably was, that the former had eaten the 
latter before being herself eaten by the bird of prey.* It 
was not so curious as finding a Partridge’s egg in a Pere- 
grine’s nest, or a rat’s head in a Woodpigeon’s. 
Our next one was shot in the act of carrying off a Pewit, 
and the next had been making a heayy repast on locusts, 
which did not surprise me, for I believe it is ordained that 
almost all animals should help in keeping down the numbers 
of this destructive pest, which in times ofa great visitation 
(fortunately rare) will come to a district in such appalling 
clouds as to threaten absolute ruin to the poor /ellaheen. 
This Falcon would seem to be commoner than the Lanner 
in winter. Old “Tiercels” are said to be rare. 
13. Hossy, Falko subbuteo, Linn. 
I was shown an adult at M. Filliponi’s, killed near 
Damietta last September, which was the only one we came 
across. 
* Tn the autumn of 1871, I was shown a Peregrine at the birdstuffer’s 
at Lydd which had overgorged itself, and been stoned. What its last 
heavy repast may have been was not known, but a hare was found near 
the spot with one of its eyes gouged out. 
