Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/79

 former locality, was captured in a cottage, which it entered by dashing through a pane of the window, in sparrow-hawk fashion, after a yellow bunting. Tins merlin was a female, as was another sent to him, which had been shot there, after having twice " put down" a ring-dove or wood-quest. This bird, though double its own weight, would have been killed at the second stoop, had not a sportsman, who witnessed the whole occurrence, shot the mer- lin, when in the act of seizing its prey.

chosen locality for the eyrie of the peregrine falcon is always of such a nature as is suited to the kestrel, which we are almost certain to find there, be the place inland or marine ; but much more humble cliffs than the larger bird would deign to occupy, are tenanted by the smaller one. Throughout the whole range of noble basaltic precipices in the north-east of Ireland, I have remarked the presence of the kestrel. Where there are no cliffs, its nest is placed in ruined buildings, church towers,* trees, and occasionally in pigeon-houses. This bird is but a poor architect When trees are selected for its eyrie, the ruined nest of other species (generally of the magpie, or some one of the Corvidæ) is used for the purpose ; and " among rocks or ruins it seems to make no nest, but lays its eggs on the natural or arti- ficial floor."t A kestrel, after having been kept for four years at Castle Warren (co. Cork), laid eggs for the first time in April, 1848, and when four were deposited in the nest, commenced sit-

The only place of this kind in the neighbourhood of Belfast, that I know to be selected for the purpose, is the tower of Ballylesson church, which alone, of the many edifices of this description in our populous neighbourhood, contains a set of musical bells. (Note of 1838.)

f Mr. J. Poole.