106 EIGHTH REPORT — 1838. 



Remarks on the Greenland and Iceland Falcons. By John Hancock. 



On the question of the specific identity or difference of these birds, 

 Mr. Hancock, in opposition to some English writers, has arrived at the 

 conclusion that they are truly distinct. This opinion lie has formed 

 from an examination of many individuals of the Iceland and Greenland 

 birds, his attention having been first awakened to the subject by a sight 

 of two individuals brought from Iceland in 1833 by Mr. G. C. Atkinson. 

 Besides various other specimens, minutely described by Mr. Hancock, 

 he was fortunate enough to be furnished, by the exertions of Mr. W. 

 Procter, who visited Iceland last year, with an opportunity of inspecting 

 a ' brood ' of five Iceland falcons, viz. the parents and three young 

 ones, which Mr. Procter shot on the same crag. 



On comparing the male, female, and young of these gray Iceland 

 birds with the corresponding white falcons of Greenland, the differences 

 became manifest, and Mr. Hancock endeavoured to show, by an investi- 

 gation of other allied species, that the supposition of continual change 

 of plumage, after maturity, by which it has been attempted to account 

 for these differences, is not tenable. Mr. Hancock does not admit a 

 white variety of the Iceland falcon, and thinks it doubtful whether this 

 bird inhabits Greenland ; while the white bird of Greenland is rare in 

 Iceland, except during winter and on the northern jJarts of the island. 

 The author concluded his communication by a minute comparative 

 description of the two birds. The following are characters of the ma- 

 ture plumage : — 



Falco Islandicus. — Ground of the upper plumage, a dark lead or 

 mouse colour, barred and spotted with cream colour ; ground of 

 the under parts, buff, marked with streaks, heart-shaped sjjots, and 

 bars of dark mouse colour; wings reaching to within about 14- 

 inch of the end of the tail. Dimensions. — Adult male : length, 

 1 foot 9-rT inches ; extent of wings, 3 feet 10-rV inches. Female : 

 length, 1 foot 1 1 inches ; extent of wings, 4 feet 2 inches ; like 

 the male, but darker. (The young have the bai's on the middle 

 two tail feathers discontinuous.) 

 Falco Grcenlandicus, Linn. — Ground of the plumage, pure white ; 

 upper parts elegantly marked Avith arrow-shaped spots of a dark 

 gray ; under parts and head streaked with the same ; wings reach- 

 ing to within 2 inches of the end of the tail, second primary longest. 

 Dimensions. — Adult male : 1 foot 9 inches. Female : length, 1 

 foot 11 inches; extent of wings, 3 feet 10 inches; like the male, 

 but M'ith more dark in the plumage. In some individuals the bill 

 has two processes in the upper mandible. (The young have the 

 bars on the middle two tail feathers continuous.) 



On the Ardea Alba. By Arthur Strickland. 



Mr. Strickland stated, that this bird had been unjustly excluded from 

 the catalogue of occasional visitors to this country by late authors, as 

 he could prove on unquestionable authority, that it had been killed of 



