FALCO GYRFALCO. 105 



its shallow nest. In the Orkneys, where there are few trees, it 

 breeds on the ledges of rocks. It lives about forty years, if not 

 killed before its time. In the days of Falconry it was a great 

 favourite, from its extreme boldness, and much used in the 

 capture of partridges, quails, pigeons, blackbirds, larks, &c. It 

 was held in great veneration by the Egyptians, as it was the 

 emblem of their god Osiris. The Greeks also consecrated it to 

 Apollo. 



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SUB-FAMILY III. FALCONINA. 

 The Jer or Gyr Falcon. 



(Fdlco Gyrfaleo.) Linn. (Falco Island I 'ens. ) Lath. 



" But what a point, my lord, your falcon made, 

 And what a pitch she flew above the rest ! 

 To see how God in all His creatures works ! 

 Yea, man and birds are fain of climbing high. "—Henry VI. 



This handsome bird stands at the head of the true falcons — 

 the sub-family Falconina. The bill is short and strong, curving 

 from the base. The upper mandible is armed with an acute 

 tooth on each side near the point, which fits into a notch in the 

 lower one. The wings are long and pointed ; the thighs are 

 long ; the tarsi short, compared with the hawk's. The middle 

 toe is united to the outer one by a membrane at their base ; it 

 has a joint more than the others — a wise, if cruel, provision of 

 Nature— for the extra joint enables it to clutch round to meet the 

 hind toe, which, though shorter than the rest, is armed with a 

 sharp-pointed claw longer than the others. The hawks and all 

 birds of prey have the same provision for a better grasp. Being 

 easier trained than the hawks or harriers, and their mode of 

 capturing their prey by outsoaring them more interesting, this 

 sub-family were greater favourites with falconers than the 

 wilder, short- winged hawks — hence called the " noble birds of 

 prey," in distinction to the so-called " ignoble " ones. From its 

 extreme rarity in Britain the gyr falcon was not so much used 

 in falconry as its congener, the peregrine. The gyr is entitled 

 to stand at the head of its family, as it is not only the most 

 powerful, but, I may say, the most beautiful of its genus. The 

 general colour is white, the upper parts marked with dark grey 

 spots or streaks. The bill is pale blue, darker at the point, and 

 yellow at the base. The legs and feet are pale yellow ; claws 



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