30 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



as far as I recollect, in the sanctum of the clergyman 

 at Hrafnagil, near Akureyri. This species probably 

 visits Iceland under much the same conditions as the 

 Snowy Owl, but not so frequently. It is somewhat 

 difficult to ascertain, however, as this and the next 

 species are usually confused together. I think there 

 is a Greenland Falcon in the Museum at Reykjavik 

 also, but I did not make a note of it, and am not 

 sure. 



The differences in plumage between this species and 

 the indigenous bird will be found under the Iceland 

 Falcon. The ' white falcons ' imported from Iceland 

 since very early days (twelfth century, at least), and so 

 highly valued by falconers, were doubtless migrant 

 Greenlanders. 



Falco islandus, Gmel. Iceland Falcon. 



Native names : ' Falki,' ' VeiSi falki ' (' Hunting falcon ') 

 ' Haukur,' ' Valur ' ( = ' (bird of) Battle '). ' Haukr ' 

 and ' valr ' are Eddaic names. 



A resident, decreasing in numbers. This is due 

 apparently to two causes: the regular market that 

 exists for the eggs and young birds, and also the 

 disturbance of the duck-breeding preserves and the 

 consequent trapping of the old birds. The latter 

 mischief cannot be denied, and it is not an unusual 

 thing to find headless ducks lying about which the 

 falcons have struck down en passant and have not 

 taken any further notice of. This rather suggests the 



