152 

 FALCO ISLANDICUS. 



THE GYR FALCON. 



The tooth-like process of the bill sma/1, the tail ex- 

 jending" about four inches beyond the tips of the wings. 

 Tlie old bird white, with dusky spots, tlie bill pale blue, 

 the cere and feet yellow ; the middle-ag-ed light grey, 

 tlie feathers white on the edges, the bill ai>d cere pale 

 blue, the feet greyish-blue- the young brownish-grey, 

 the feathers margined with paler, the tail and wings 

 barred with dusky. 



Adult Male. — The Iceland Falcon, which can 

 scarcely be claimed as a native of Britain, althougli in- 

 dividuals have now and then been killed in Scotland, 

 and more rarely in England^ is remarkable for its 

 great strength and boldness ; in which respects, as well 

 as in form, it resembles the Peregrine Falcon. Mr 

 Selby says, he has " never been able to examine a re- 

 cent specimen on the south of the river Tweed ;" but 

 does not say whether he has handled one on the north 

 of it. For my part, I have here to state, thai I never 

 examined a recent specimen at all, and those which 1 

 have seen were skins or stuffed birds from Greenland,. 

 Davis' Straita, Labrador, and the north of Scotland. 

 Nor have I even seen, the Wrd alive, whether free of 

 captive ; and therefore what I have to say re&pecting 

 it must be confined to the mere description of the forni, 

 ^nd plumage. 



Ill its form this speeies is full aad robust, the neck 



