. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE jer-falcon: 249 that weapon for the purpose of completing the slaughter when they and the wounded quarry are struggling on the ground. Among the true Falcons the J er-falcon is the most conspicuous on account of the superior dimensions of its body and the striking power of its wing. This splendid bird is a native of Northern Europe, being mostly found in Iceland and Norway, and it also inhabits parts of both Americas. Some naturalists believe that the Norwe- gian and Icelandic birds ought to be reckoned as different species, but others think that an
. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE jer-falcon: 249 that weapon for the purpose of completing the slaughter when they and the wounded quarry are struggling on the ground. Among the true Falcons the J er-falcon is the most conspicuous on account of the superior dimensions of its body and the striking power of its wing. This splendid bird is a native of Northern Europe, being mostly found in Iceland and Norway, and it also inhabits parts of both Americas. Some naturalists believe that the Norwe- gian and Icelandic birds ought to be reckoned as different species, but others think that any differences be- tween them are occasioned by age and sex. It is said that of the two birds the Iceland variety is the more powerful, of bolder flight, and greater age, and therefore better adapted for the purpose of falconry. Sometimes it is seen in the northern parts of the British Islands, having evidently flown over the five hundred miles or so of sea that divides Scotland from Iceland ; this journey, however, is no difficult task for the Jer-falcon, who is quite capable of paying a morning visit to these islands and returning to its home on the same day. In 1859 one of these birds was shot in N orth- umberland, and others have been ob- served in the more southern counties. Towards the south, however, it has seldom if ever been obser\ed. The colour of the adult Jer-falcon is nearly white, being purely white on the under surface and flecked with narrow transverse bars of greyish brown upon the upper parts. The sharp claws are black, the beak of a bluish tint, and the cere, tarsus, and toes yellow. When young, however, the bird presents a very different aspect, and would hardly be recognized as to the same species. In its earlier stages of life it is almost wholly of a greyish brown tint, the fea- thers being slightly marked Avith a little white upon their edges. As the bird increases in age the white edges become wider and by degrees the entire feather is of a sn
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
