Identifier: birdsofirelandac00ussh (find matches)
Title: The birds of Ireland; an account of the distribution, migrations and habits of birds as observed in Ireland, with all additions to the Irish list
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ussher, Richard John, 1841-1913 Warren, Robert
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Gurney and Jackson (successors to Mr. Van Voorst)
Contributing Library: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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uck or steal Peregrines eggs, and the bi-eeding-shelf is some-times so insecure that eggs may roll off. After carefullymeasuiing all the Irish eggs available from time to time, Ifind the average length slightly exceeds 2 inches by 1*59 ; butthose from the county of Waterford exceed in size those fromWexford, Tipperary, Cork and Kerry which I have examined.One evrie in the first-named county contained year after year eggsof such exceptional size as averaged 2IG x 166, the largest(now in mv collection) attaining the remarkal)le dimensions of2-32 X lv6. And here I may c^uote a remark of Dr. CharlesSmith (1746): In the sea-cliffs of this county (Waterford)there are eyries of excellent Falcons, which were formerly of greatrepute among our antient kings and British nobility, as appearsfrom the tenures of some lands and estates being held bypresenting Hawks from this county. In their colouring, our Irish Peregrines eggs exhibit manybeautiful variations. The ground of some is white, of others
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^hototirapJuii hy C Kcait^n PEREGRINES EYRIE. FALCONID.E. 143 yellowish; of others, pink; and of others, vivid brick-red. Themarkings vary both in intensity and colour, from the palestyellowisli or reddish lirown, to crimson-brown, orange-lnowu andbrownish black. Sometimes l^lack spots and sometimes white spotsoccur on red-brown eggs. One biixl produced eggs with occasionalcrooked lines of deep, crimson brown. Other eggs have a pinkground, with markings of purple, reddish brown and dark brown.Purple, lilac, or lead-coloured under-shell markings occasionallyoccur. One variety has pale yellowish freckling all over, like eggsof the Iceland Falcon. Some are of a leather-colour, with scarcelyany ground visible, and others are covered all over with specks,spots, blotches, and dashes of the darker hues. The colour isfrequently massed intensely at the smaller end. Sometimes itappears to have been wiped off, leaving only the stain, with freshspots super-added. One egg has a yellowish ground, b

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