86 FALCONID.E. 



The beak, from the forehead to the tip, measures in diameter 

 one inch and one line, but in the arc one inch six lines. 

 The beak is of a peculiar form, having the tooth longer than 

 in any other species of British Falcons. The nostril is 

 round, as in all true Falcons, and has a small pyramid or 

 column in the centre. The wings measure from the carpus 

 to the tip fourteen inches, and extend to within two inches 

 of the tip of the tail. The middle toe, which much exceeds 

 the others in length, measures three inches, including the 

 claw. The inner claw, which is the longest, measures in the 

 arc one inch and two lines. The tarsi are feathered half the 

 way down, the naked part as well as the base of the toes 

 reticulated ; the remaining part of the toes, towards the 

 claws, scutellated. The claws are black, hooked, and finely 

 pointed. The legs and feet, cere, and orbits, are in the 

 adult birds yellow, but become bluish grey when preserved 

 as specimens. In immature birds these parts are naturally 

 of a dull blue, tinged with green. 



In plumage the females differ little from the males, but 

 the brown marks upon their feathers are larger and darker. 

 They exceed the males in size. 



In young birds the whole of the upper parts are cinereous 

 brown with dirty-yellowish edges and spots ; the under parts 

 are yellowish-white, each feather marked with an irregular 

 lancet-shaped spot, of a dusky colour, largest on the breast. 

 In this state of plumage the beak is black ; the cere, orbits 

 and legs, dirty pale blue, the iris dusky grey ; a dark streak 

 descends from the corner of the beak down the side of the 

 throat ; this streak disappears as the bird becomes older. 



The egg figured 7, is the one belonging to the Jer Falcon. 



