THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 
39 
eyries have been annually in requisition for more than thirty 
years, to supply different sportsmen, but chiefly my friend, John 
Sinclaire, Esq., with falcons for the chase.* The best time to 
secure the young, is just before they essay their wings, but they 
are sometimes taken at an earlier period, when arrayed in a cos- 
tume of pure white down. They are generally three in number, 
but, in a few instances, four have been obtained ; in which case, 
one is generally much smaller than the others. An exception to 
this occurred at Salagh Braes, in 1838, when all four were of 
similar size ; and, what is most unusual, of the same sex, being 
females. Three females and one male were, in another instance, 
the produce of a nest ; but the two sexes are, upon the whole, 
considered to be about equal in number, — the females, perhaps, 
rather preponderating. If either an old male or female be killed 
in the breeding season, (not an uncommon circumstance,) another 
mate is found within a very few days ; so that the eyries, notwith- 
standing such casualties, are sure to turn out their complement 
of young. An addled egg is not unfrequently brought from the 
nest with the young birds, when of a proper age to be reared ; 
from which it would appear, that there is no desire on the part of 
of the parent birds to get rid of it. Mr. Sinclaire states, that on 
going to obtain these hawks, — which is done by a person sus- 
pended from the summit of the cliff by a rope, — he has often 
seen the tercel, or male bird, circling at a great height in the air, 
with prey for the eyrie, while the female, loudly screaming, kept 
flying about the vicinity of the nest. The food was then dropped 
by the tercel, and as it fell through the air was seized by his 
partner, who bore it off to the young. In captivity, when grow- 
ing, they eat twice or thrice as much as after they have attained 
full size, which they do very soon. The greatest regularity in 
1626, directed that his third son, Bryan O’Flahertie, should have the Cleggan, an 
extensive tract in the barony of Balinahinch ‘ excepting onelie the Aiery of hawks 
upon Barnanoran ,’ reserved for his eldest son, Morogh na Mart.” In High 
Island, also, it is remarked, that “ yearlie an ayrie of hawkes is found,” p. 115. 
* One of these localities in Ballynascreen, county of Londonderry, frequented 
from time immemorial by the peregrine falcon, is called Craig -na-shoke, or rock of 
the hawks. 
