JO NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



and female fly from the nest, and perform — just 

 for the love of exercise, it would seem — a series 

 of aerial evolutions that it would be impossible 

 to describe. The nest in this instance is upon 

 the projecting ledge of a rock midway down 

 the scaur, and protected from sight and the 

 sea-winds by an old, twisted yew. 



We are scrambling among the crags in 

 search of Alpine plants, when a large bird of 

 prey advances on the wing. At a distance 

 the under parts appear to be white, but the 

 bird flying directly over at a height of sixty 

 feet enables us to see distinctly the dark bars 

 across the feathers of the abdomen. Its flight 

 is a sort of flapping motion, not unlike that 

 of the Ring-dove; and we can see its head 

 turned rapidly in various directions, the eye 

 at the same time peering into the crannies of 

 the rocks and ghylls, in search of any skulking 

 prey. The Peregrine is marked by dark 

 streaks proceeding from the corners of its bluish- 

 grey back, and by the transverse bars just 

 mentioned. It will dash through a flock of 

 wild ducks or a covey of partridges, wounding 

 several in its sortie, but eventually carrying off 

 the one selected with unerring aim. 



