JER FALCON. 50 



pursued, are still less adapted to purposes of falconry. Fal- 

 conry has declined for many years on the continent of Europe 

 as well as in England, which is attributed in a great measure 

 to the long duration of war in the beginning of this century, 

 which was the means of breaking up many hawking establish- 

 ments. 



In confinement this species requires to be treated with 

 great care, and in order to retain his powers in perfection, he 

 must be fed entirely upon fresh food, especially birds. 



In a wild state the food of the Jer Falcon consists of hares, 

 and other animals of a similar size, and birds, among which 

 the ptarmigan is preferred, and pursued unceasingly. In his 

 manner of pursuing and taking his game, the Jer Falcon 

 much resembles the Peregrine. Like him, he descends with 

 the swiftness of thought upon his prey ; in case of failure he 

 reascends and repeats the stroke. These birds never descend 

 perpendicularly, but always in a slanting direction, upon their 

 prey. 



The Jer Falcons build upon lofty and precipitous rocks, 

 and their eggs are two or three in number. From these 

 situations the young are sometimes obtained with consider- 

 able risk, the old birds defending the nestlings with great 

 intrepidity. 



The Jer Falcon can only be considered in Britain as an 

 accidental visiter, and probably all that have been taken here 

 have been immature. M. Boie is of opinion that in their 

 adult state, birds of this species do not quit their native 

 Arctic regions ; and Temminck concurs in the same opinion. 



The bird represented in the plate is from a specimen pre- 

 served in the British Museum, and is apparently beyond the 

 middle age. The very old birds are said to become perfectly 

 white, as the spots upon the feathers decrease in size at every 

 succeeding moult. The following measurements were taken 

 from the same bird, which appears from its size to be a male. 



d2 



