18 



season. Late in September it was observed in tolerable numbers in the Bureja Mountains, and 

 lived chiefly on squirrels, but was so shy that he could not obtain a specimen. There is, how- 

 ever, no doubt that the specimen referred to by Von Schrenck as having been obtained by 

 Maack at Nertschinsk, in March 1855, is referable to Falco candicans, as he gives a careful and 

 detailed description of it. Pallas also states that whereas the Jer Falcon which is found in the 

 Ural and Altai is dark in colour, and not unlike a young Peregrine, the bird found in Eastern 

 Siberia and Kamtschatka is white, like the species found in Iceland. 



The present species also inhabits North America, where, according to Mr. Ridgway (I. c), 

 it is found in the " interior regions of Arctic America, Anderson-River, McKLenzie, Yukon, and 

 Severn-River regions, breeding abundantly in the former district." I am indebted to Professor 

 Spencer F. Baird for an opportunity of comparing American examples with those in my collec- 

 tion from Scandinavia ; and it may not be out of place to reproduce some notes respecting these 

 examples which I read at a Meeting of the Zoological Society in March last. Four specimens 

 were forwarded to me for examination by Professor Baird, particulars as to locality &c. being 

 given below : — 



Specimen a, an adult female, compared with a female of F. gyrfalco from Quickjock, 

 Lapland, agrees so closely that I cannot trace the least difference either in coloration, measure- 

 ments, or any thing else ; and as the two skins are made up much alike, I could not well tell 

 them apart, except by the labels. Mr. Blanford, who is working with me, is also unable to 

 discern any difference. 



Specimen b, a male, evidently adult, agrees closely with an old male from Lapland in my 

 collection, but has the head darker and less streaked with white, and the back is also bluer than 

 that of the Lapland specimen. Doubtless the American bird is the older of the two. 



Specimen c, also a male, agrees tolerably well with my male bird from Lapland, but has 

 the head darker. 



Specimen d, a female, agrees very closely with a female from Lapland. 



Mr. Ridgway evidently lacked the materials which have been at my disposal, or he would 

 doubtless have arrived at precisely the same conclusion as I have done. Indeed, he writes 

 (I. c.) as follows respecting the female bird from Fort Anderson : — " Upon comparing this 

 specimen with the figures of a pair of var. gyrfalco by Wolf in Newton's ' Ootheca Wolleyana,' 

 I can discover no difference at all," thus showing that he only needed the necessary materials to 

 convince himself of the identity of the American and European Jer Falcons. As the American 

 authors call this bird Falco sacer, Forst., I made careful research as to whether the species 

 described by Forster in 1772 really is the Jer Falcon; and the result of my search may be 

 summed up as follows. Forster writes (Phil. Trans, lxii. p. 382, abridged edition, p. 331): — 

 " Speckled Partridge-Hawk at Hudson's Bay. The name is derived from its feeding on the 

 birds of the Grous tribe, commonly called Partridges, at Hudson's Bay. Its irides are yellow 

 and the legs blue. It comes nearest the Sacre of Brisson, Buffon, and Belon ; but Buffon says 

 it has black eyes, which is very indistinct, for the irides are black in none of the Falcons, 

 and in few other birds; and the pupil, if he means that, is black in all birds. It is said by 

 Belon to come from Tartary and Russia, and is therefore probably a northern bird. It is very 

 voracious and bold, catching Partridges out of a covey which the Europeans are driving into 



