Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. 967 



commences the chase on a level with a flock of pigeons sprung from 

 a stubble or field of new-sown wheat, I believe they will generally 

 escape in safety to the dovecot, or even rise higher in the air than 

 their pursuer, and so set her at defiance. But even in such a chase 

 as this the tercel would be very likely to kill his bird, as he will often 

 mount with great spirit and success under discouraging circumstances. 

 I am inclined to suspect that pigeons, when hard pressed by falcons, 

 are sometimes half suffocated from having been surprised with a full 

 crop, and so fall an easy prey where they would otherwise escape. 

 This, however, requires confirmation ; and is yet little more than 

 conjecture. In windy weather the long-winged hawks fly with great 

 spirit, if the day be fine and the gale not actually tempestuous. They 

 are also invigorated by cold. At such times, I believe, they are more 

 than usually successful in their attacks upon flights of pigeons rising 

 from the stubbles. They fly with overwhelming speed downwind, 

 very rapidly across the wind, and even beat up directly against it as 

 quickly as domestic pigeons. The rising and descending of a falcon 

 across or against a high wind is beautiful sometimes in the extreme ; 

 and her alacrity in such weather terrifies the quarry before her, and 

 prevents it from seeking safety by mounting." — p. 93. 



" One very fine female falcon of the second year (having flown 

 much at liberty during the summer), would now and then make a 

 swoop at our pigeons, when her blood was up from a recent disap- 

 pointment after partridge. One day, having driven a partridge into a 

 hedge, not far from the farm-yard, and having thrown herself up into 

 the air (as is always observable when the fatal stroke has been evaded), 

 I saw her mounting up with her breast to the north-wind, instead of 

 wheeling round, and " waiting on," until the partridge could be again 

 started. It was evident she had something before her, for her train- 

 ing was excellent, and she knew her duty perfectly. She had scarcely 

 reached a good position, when a flight of pigeons appeared, coming 

 down the wind at great speed, and making for their dovecot, just as a 

 hare will press on towards a cover in spite of a greyhound slipped 

 to intercept her. 



" The falcon hung on the wind till the flock going like lightning 

 had passed under her, when she instantly stooped in the grandest 

 manner, and by the impulse threw herself first in behind them, and 

 then again up aloft, exactly over the foremost birds, and completely 

 commanding all and each. She now r selected a white pigeon, and 

 descending upon it, down it went into the rough herbage of a hedge, 

 with merely a feather or two grazed from its back, and quite unhurt; 

 the falcon, instead of turning round to secure her prey, as she would 



