THE PLUMAGE OF THE FALCON. 231 



winged and short winged. The long winged are called 

 falcons, the short winged simply hawks ; but the female 

 goshawk seems to be allowed b}' courtesy to assume the 

 more noble title, though she is not generally spoken of 

 by that name. The only short winged hawks used by 

 falconers (at any rate in Europe) are the goshawk and 

 sparrow-hawk ; both the male and female of the former, 

 the female only, as a general rule, of the latter. These 

 birds are termed " hawks of the fist," because they fly 

 from it at their quarry, not stooping from a height as 

 the falcons do, and as they are trained to expect food 

 from the hand, to which they should come readily. 



Long-winged hawks are called " hawks of the lure," 

 because they are taught to fly to it when necessary. The 

 falcons have an immense advantage over their less noble 

 kinsmen m temper and in disposition, as well as in 

 power of flight ; and they are trained with much greater 

 ease, and are flown ^dth more pleasure, and generally 

 with more effect than the short -snnged hawks. 



The weight of the Iceland falcon is generally three 

 pounds and a half ; its length from bill to tail about 

 twenty-three inches ; the spread of the wings being 

 above fovu- feet ; the length of the male bird is about 

 thirty inches. The colour and marking in both sexes are 

 alike, as well in the young as in the adult states ; indi- 

 viduals differing only as they assume the light or dark 

 variety of plumage, with the intermediate gi-adations. 

 The tarsi are feathered about half way down, and the 

 naked parts are in the young birds of a blue lead colour, 

 as are also the cere and skin about the eyes. This 

 colour changes to yellow in the mature bird, and deepens 

 with age. The young birds are all of them, in the 

 upper parts of the body, of a dark greyish brown colour, 



