270 
THE NATURAL HISTORY 
[LETT. 
One of the keepers of Wolmer Forest sent me a peregrine- 
falcon, which he shot on the verge of that district, as it was 
devouring a wood-pigeon. The Falco pcregrinus, or haggard 
falcon, is a noble species of hawk seldom seen in the south(irn 
counties. In the winter of 1767 one was killed in the neighbouring 
parish of Farringdon, and sent by me to Mr. Pennant into North 
Wales.^ Since that time I have met with none till now. The 
specimen mentioned above was in fine preservation, and not 
injured by the shot : it measured forty-two inches from wing to 
wing, and twenty-one from beak to tail, and weighed two pounds 
and a half standard weight. This species is very robust, and 
wonderfully formed for rapine : its breast was plump and 
muscular ; its thighs long, thick, and brawny ; and its legs 
remarkably short and w^ell set : the feet were armed with most 
formidable, sharp, long talons : the eyelids and cere of the bill 
were yellow ; but the irides of the eyes dusky ; the beak was 
thick and hooked, and of a dark colour, and had a jagged process 
near the end of tlie upper mandible on each side : its tail, or train, 
was short in proportion to the bulk of its body : yet the wings, 
when closed, did not extend to the end of the train. From its 
large and fair proportions it might be supposed to have been a 
female ; but I was not permitted to cut open the specimen. 
Fur one of the birds of prey, which are usually lean, this was in 
high case : in its craw were many barley-corns, which probably 
came from the crop of the wood-pigeon, on wJiich it was feeding 
when shot : for voracious birds do not eat grain ; but, when 
devouring their quarry, with undis<"inguishing vehemence they 
swallow bones and feathers, and all matters, indiscriminately. 
This falcon was probably driven from the mountains of ^^"orth 
Wales or Scotland, where they are known to breed, by rigorous 
weather and the deep snow^s that had lately fallen. 
See my Tenth and Eleventh Letters, pages 28 and 34. 
