THE ICELAND OR JER FALCON. 83 



probable that the two which left the nest at the approach of the party were 

 the young birds. 



I made my drawing of them the day after their death. It was one of the 

 severest tasks which I ever performed, and was done under the most dis- 

 agreeable circumstances. I sat up nearly the whole of the night, to sketch 

 them in outline. The next day it rained for hours, and the water fell on my 

 paper and colours all the while from the rigging of the Ripley. 



The weight of the female was 3 pounds 2 ounces, that of the male 2 pounds 

 14 ounces avoirdupois. Their flesh was tough and bluish, and their whole 

 structure was remarkable for the indications of strength which it exhibited. 

 The intestines measured 4 feet 9 inches. The heart was extremely large, 

 and very remarkable for its firmness. The liver also was large. The 

 stomach, which was thin, contained remains offish, feathers, and hair. 



From the account which I received from my son and his companions, I 

 would willingly suppose that no one had ever before disturbed their solitude. 

 They flew about and close to them, as if altogether unacquainted with the 

 effects of a gun. The young appeared full grown, and, as if aware of the 

 fate of their parents, alighted only on the highest and most inaccessible parts 

 of the rocks around. Both the specimens procured were carefully skinned 

 and preserved. One is in my possession; the other I gave to my worthy 

 and generous friend John Bachman. 



On inquiring of a Mr. Jones, who had been a resident in Labrador for 

 twenty years, I was informed that these Hawks feed on and destroy an im- 

 mense number of hares, Rock Partridges, and Willow Grous; but he could 

 not give me any information as to the change of plumage, never having seen 

 them in any other state than that of the individuals represented in my plate, 

 which I shewed to him. The fishermen called them Duck Hawks, and 

 some of them reported many exploits performed by them, which I think it 

 unnecessary to repeat, as I considered them exaggerated. 



Falco Islandicus, Jer Falcon, Rich, and Swains. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 27. 

 Gyr Falcon, Falco Islandicus, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 51. 



Iceland or Jer Falcon, Falco Islandicus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 4G6. Adult Female. 

 Iceland or Jer Falcon, Falco Islandicus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. ii. p. 552. Young Male 

 and Female. 



The bill is very pale blue, the extremity of the upper mandible black, that 

 of the lower yellowish; the eyes greyish-black; the cere, superciliary ridge, 

 edges of eyelids, tarsi and toes, pale yellow; the eyelids pale blue; the claws 

 black. The plumage is pure white, but all the feathers of the back and rump, 

 the scapulars, the wing-coverts, and the secondary quills, have near their 



