The Mallard 15 
on the look-out for them, and very interesting are their movements under 
such circumstances, as shown in the series of sketches from life. Should 
one of the party resting on shore observe a peregrine, at some distance, 
advance in their direction, he at once gives the alarm by calling his com- 
panions, who spring to their feet and strain their necks to obtain a better 
view. Should the falcon continue to approach, their first impulse is to crouch 
close to the ground, as a grouse or partridge would do, hoping thus to remain 
unobserved ; but on the enemy coming still nearer they do not seem to share 
the confidence of game birds who, in like case, would lie down, trusting to the 
natural blending of their plumage with the surrounding objects. Instead of 
this, they get up and rush in confusion to the water and, immersing them- 
selves up to the neck, lie there with heads and necks outstretched, in the 
curious circle which I have endeavoured to depict. This clever manoeuvre 
gives them absolute safety as well as a perfect view of their surroundings on 
all sides, and I have found them act in exactly the same way under an 
artificial kite. 
The peregrine, practically their only enemy amongst the raptorials in 
Scotland, never strikes duck when passing over water, though he may 
occasionally be seen chasing and ' stooping ' at them when he has failed to kill 
them over land, possibly for the sake of practice, and he is somewhat fond of 
making trial stoops. If a flock of duck see him coming, and they are at the 
time flying above a sheet of water, they will take wonderful headers from 
almost any height to avoid his talons. The splash caused by their striking 
the water can be seen at a great distance, so violent is the impact, and the 
wonder is it does not kill them. I once saw a female peregrine make a 
magnificent stoop at a pink-footed goose over the waters of Loch Leven. She 
knocked her quarry headlong into the water, and then immediately abandoned 
it ; so probably this was only a bit of sport on her part. The goose, 
appearing to be little the worse for it, rose presently and flew away. 
The constant attacks of the latter-day wild-fowler armed with weapons of 
precision have made practically all the surface-feeding ducks night- instead of 
