92 ACCIPITRES. 



The jer-falcon is a large, strong, and rather weighty bird? 

 very close and thick in its plumage, and altogether perhaps 

 the most compact of the birds of prey. It length is about 

 twenty inches, the stretch of its wings nearly four feet, and 

 its weight at least two pounds. The colour is very much 

 like that of the lichens on its native rocks white, dull grey, 

 and dusky. The neck, breast, belly, and long feathers on the 

 legs are white, with dusky lines on the neck and breast, and 

 similar lines, interspersed with arrow-point spots, on the 

 other parts below. The back and wings are dusky, the 

 feathers margined with greyish white, and having large spots 

 of the same colour. The tail, which consists of twelve 

 round-pointed feathers, and is rather long, is darker grey, 

 with black shafts to the feathers, and- about twelve regular 

 dusky bars. The feet, cere, and naked space round the eyes 

 are bluish yellow in the mature bird, and inclining to blue in 

 the young. The bill, which has the tooth less prominent 

 than most of the falcons, and a sort of double, is bluish ; but 

 the tip is black, and so are the claws, and the shafts of the 

 more strong and decided feathers. The young are more 

 dusky than the old, and have the naked parts so much more 

 blue, that they have sometimes been considered different 

 species. The eggs are two or four in number. Birds that 

 pair uniformly, generally lay their eggs in even numbers, 

 though there are, of course, casual exceptions. 



The jer-falcon can live in any climate ; and from its 

 strength, its daring, and the certainty of its stroke, it is more 

 prized in falconry than any other, but it is very difficult to 

 train ; and therefore, in the days of falconry, it brought a 

 very high price. 



It is possible that the jer-falcon which abounds in Norway, 

 and the Iceland one, are different species : the latter paler in 

 colour, and more powerful. 



