FALCO 541 



Hob. Greenland, straying south to North-west Europe and 

 Northern North America, and also found, though rarely, in 

 Northern Asia. 



In habits it does not differ from F. gyrfalco, and though like 

 that bird strong and swift on the wing it is not held in such 

 esteem by falconers as the Gyrfalcon, though in the times when 

 falconry was a royal sport, trained birds were of great value 

 chiefly for their beauty. It nests on cliffs, its nest and eggs 

 resembling those of F. gyrfalco, but the latter are as a rule 

 somewhat rougher in texture of shell. 



759. ICELAND FALCON. 



FALCO ISLANDUS. 



Falco islandns, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 271 (1788) ; Naum. i. Taf. 22, 

 figs. 1, 2, Taf. 390, fig. 2 ; Hewitson, i. p. 22, pi. vii. ; Gould, B. of 

 Gt. Brit. i. pis. 11, 12 ; Newton, i. p. 46 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 i. p. 414, pi. 13, left figure ; Dresser, vi. p. 25, pis. 370, 371 ; 

 Saunders, p. 343 ; Lilford, i. p. 31, pis. 16, 17 ; F. rusticolus, Riclg. 

 p. 245. 



Falkiy Veidifalki, Valur, Icel. ; Fdlkur, Fseroe ; Islandsk-Falk y 

 Dan. 



(J ad. (Iceland). Head and nape dull white striped with slaty black,, 

 tipper parts dark brownish slate, barred with buffy white ; the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts dull slate-blue, barred with blue-grey ; quills slate-black 

 on the outer web marked, and on the inner web barred with buffy white ; 

 tail ash-grey barred with brownish slate and tipped with white ; chin and 

 upper throat white ; rest of under parts white, the lower throat streaked 

 with blackish brown, the breast and abdomen with blackish streaks 

 terminating with a drop-shaped spot, the upper flanks with heart-shaped 

 marks, the lower flanks and under tail-coverts with bars ; bill horn-blue, 

 darker at the tip ; cere and legs yellow ; iris dark brown. Culmen T35, 

 wing 14*5, tail 8*9, tarsus 2*3 inch. Female similar but larger. The young 

 bird differs from that of F. gyrfalco in having the head lighter, in lacking 

 the blackish moustachial streak, and in having the back and tail less marked 

 with lighter colour. 



Hob. Iceland and southern Greenland, straying occasionally 

 to continental Europe, Great Britain, and the East coast of 

 North America. 



In habits it does not differ from F. gyrfalco. Its eggs, 3 

 to 4 in number, are laid in May and are yellowish clay- 

 coloured, very closely marked with reddish orange, but some 



