PEREGRINE FALCON. 9 



form, therefore, has alone appeared in this county, I 

 have in this instance departed from the nomenclature 

 of Yarrell, whose specific term gyrfalco belongs neither 

 to the bird here referred to, nor to the specimen figured 

 in his " British Birds." 



Some very clear and interestmg remarks upon the 

 distinctive characteristics, at any age, of these three 

 forms, be they races or species, will be found in 

 the "Ibis" for 1862,^ the accuracy of which can be best 

 verified by an inspection of the magnificent series of the 

 three forms, in the Raptorial collection of the Norwich 

 museum. It will sufiice here, however, to state in 

 general terms, that the Norwegian bird, as a rule, does 

 not become so light in plumage as the Icelander, whilst 

 the Greenland form, with the exception of the dark 

 spots on the back and wings, becomes pure white by 

 age, which the true Icelander never does. 



FALCO PEREGRINUS, Gmelin. 



PEEEGEINE FALCON. 



The Peregrine visits us annually in spring and autumn 

 on its migratory course, and though in small numbers, 

 is met with from time to time in every month between 

 September and May. By far the larger portion of these 

 are in immature plumage ; and adult males, as is gene- 

 rally the case amongst Raptorial migrants, are much 

 more scarce than females. I am not aware of any recent 

 instance of the peregrine breeding with us ; but Mr. 

 Hunt, writing in 1815 (Brit. Ornithology, vol. ii., p. 9), 

 says, " A nest of the gentil falcon has from time imme- 

 morial been found on Hunstanton cliffs." They have also 



* " Keview of Drs. Blasius's and Baldamus's Continuation of 

 Naumann's ' Vogel Deutschlands.' " — " Ibis," vol. iv., p.p. 43 to 53. 

 c 



