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PEREGRINE FALCON. 
act of seizing or rushing on its feathered prey, is 
swift beyond description. Ordinarily, it is per- 
formed by rapidly repeated strokes of the wings, 
in which manner it either sweeps over the country 
surveying for its quarry, or when the latter has 
been raised, ascends above, following the course 
until the moment favourable for descent has 
arrived, when the pinions are folded close to 
the body, the course directed by the tail, and a 
diagonal rush upon the victim follows, which, if 
light, is seized and borne off in a rising curve, or, 
if of a heavier description, is felled to the ground.* 
It is an idea with many that the large Falcons 
strike their prey with the breast, but the violence 
of the contact would be felt as severely by the one 
as the other ; and the blow which would stun a 
pigeon, or a full-grown wild-duck of equal weight, 
would surely be fatal to both. The weaker or 
lighter birds are always clutched up ; and on the 
others torn wounds are inflicted, which could only 
be done by the claws. The bill is not used. It 
has been mentioned, that the Peregrine oftenstrikes 
several birds of a covey or flock before returning 
to his first prey ; and Mr Thompson mentions 
that one of Mr Sinclair’s Hawks, which had taken 
up her abode in a rookery, when flown at rooks, 
always struck down several before commencing 
Colonel Thornton knew a Hawk cut a Snipe in two. 
