126 VERTEBRATES: BIRDS. 



The Gerfalcon, F. candicans, Gm., of Northern North 

 America and Greenland, is about twenty-four inches long, 

 and the wing sixteen inches, the plumage white, the up- 

 per parts with irregular confluent bands and large sub- 

 terminal sagittate or hastate spots of ashy-brown, and the 

 under parts with a few narrow stripes of brown. Younger 

 specimens have the brown predominating, of a lighter 

 shade than in the adult, and barred and spotted with 

 white, the under parts whitish, with longitudinal stripes 

 of brown. 



The Gerfalcon or Iceland Falcon, F. icelandicus, Sabine, 

 of Northern North America and Greenland, can only be 

 distinguished from the preceding by the markings on the 

 upper surface of the body, the brown, transverse bands 

 in the present species being regular and very distinct. 



The Gerfalcon of Iceland and the North of Europe is 

 undoubtedly the same species as the Iceland falcon. The 

 Gerfalcons are the most highly esteemed by falconers. 



The Sparrow Hawk, F. sparverius, 

 Linn., of the entire continent of 

 America, is eleven to twelve inches 

 long, and the wing seven to seven 

 and a half inches ; the top of the 

 head, neck behind, back, rump, and 

 tail, light rufous or cinnamon color ; 

 the under parts generally of a paler 

 shade of the same rufous as the back, 

 and always with circular or oblong 

 Sparrow Hawk, spots of black. The frontal band, and 



F. spa*, Linn. S p ace i nc i uc }i n g t h e eyes and throat, 



are white ; a spot on the neck behind, two on each side 

 of the neck, and a line running downwards from before 

 the eye, black. The Sparrow Hawk feeds upon small 

 birds, mice, and other small animals, and never attacks 

 poultry. It becomes greatly attached to a particular 



