The Peregrine Falcon 



ducks, and other delicacies, a pair of Duck Hawks made their home and 

 provided upon this lowly shake-down, year by year, a clutch of five 

 glowing beauties. 



One speaks without compunction of the robbery of the Duck Hawks' 

 nests, not alone because the owners are corsairs themselves, but because 

 a judicious selection of first sets will not impoverish the species. If not 

 further disturbed, the falcons will invariably nest again the same season. 

 A writer in the Auk, Chas. R. Keyes, of Mt. Vernon, Iowa, tells of a 

 pair nesting on the Cedar River palisades, from which a set of six eggs 

 was taken on April 5th, 1898. 

 Three weeks later another set of 

 six was found across the river — 

 undoubtedly the product of the 

 same pair of birds. 



Peregrines, like Prairies, are 

 exceedingly noisy in defense of their 

 young. Their notes must differ 

 somewhat, I suppose, from those 

 of the Prairie, but I confess I can- 

 not distinguish them to my own 

 satisfaction. 



When the infantile appetite 

 is fully developed, then it is that 

 all nature must pay tribute. The 

 bird figured here under the name 

 of "Master Peale" was encountered 

 in June, 1907, on Carroll Islet, one 

 of the rocks, now protected, off 

 the west coast of Washington. The 

 youngster w r as probably the runt 

 of a scattered brood and we judged 

 that he must have broken shell by 

 the first of May. He was in charge 

 of two very solicitous parents, who 

 guarded his every movement and 

 published screaming bulletins of 

 our progress — an attention which, 

 by the way, began to pall upon our 

 senses by the end of the fourth day. 



The clamor was renewed as often as we appeared near Master Peale's 

 favorite perch, an old dead spruce tree; and the old birds, when they could 

 no longer control their indignation afoot, relieved their pent-up feelings 



1629 



Taken in Washington 



Photo by the Author 



MASTER PEALE 



