Page:The peregrine falcon at the eyrie (IA cu31924084757206).pdf/66

 46 surprised by his almost immediate return to the family circle. The Tiercel seemed to waste nothing, and gave abundant mouthfuls of feathers all round. One negative was taken specially to show this. It also shows what I did not, notice at the time, the third eyelid giving his eye a filmy appearance. At one time he stopped feeding them, and stepping aside, stood panting with his exertions. I took this also. After the Tiercel had left, the young male who had received least food, began to peck at the puffin's foot as if the colour attracted him, and he lifted the remains up, but, of course, as soon as he opened his mouth to swallow the foot dropped. At 2.25 the Tiercel was crying for food, seconded by the hungry young male. At 2.50 the young male was again attracted by the puffin's orange foot, and tried several times to swallow it. Once he drew himself up to his full height, and I could see that the remains consisted simply of the backbone holding the head, wings and legs together, even the ribs had' gone. I was relieved at 3.30 p.m.

Riley Fortune's watch, from May 28th to May 29th, records grim famine. He saw no food brought during the whole of that time. The Tiercel paid frequent visits, and tried to find scraps in the eyrie with which to feed the young, and during his absence the young hunted hungrily in the eyrie themselves.

During King's watch, from May 29th to May 30th, he records that the young remained asleep until 2.57 p.m., when the Tiercel brought a domestic chicken, the meal lasting fifteen minutes. He came again at 3.57, and fed them on the remains. After this he came several times without food, and the young were very hungry. Thursday. May 30th, the Tiercel came four times without food before 5.54 a.m., when he brought a thrush. He did not apparently catch this himself, as he was calling for food shortly before he brought it. At 6.35 the Falcon brought a bird while the Tiercel was in the eyrie. King was so pleased to see the Falcon that he did not notice what the quarry was. She alighted on B, and transferring the bird to him remained there and watched him feed them. The Tiercel left at 6.45, but returned at 7.5, and resumed feeding. At 7.10 the Falcon brought a thrush into the eyrie, and transferred it.to the Tiercel; she only stayed about a minute. At 7.20 both alighted on the seaward end of A. The Falcon had a thrush in her