THE JER-FALCON. 99 



without a witness ; for if the task which the jer falcon 

 is called upon to perform in nature is harder than that 

 of most other birds, the preparation of this falcon 

 for the performance of it is greater in fully the same 

 proportion. 



The sketch which we have given of this bird, 

 which is, now at least that falconry is not the fashion, 

 rather rare in substance, in skin, or in skeleton, is 

 taken from a very fine specimen in the possession of 

 Mr. Yarrell, which that gentleman very obligingly 

 lent us for the purpose. It was originally obtained 

 from Iceland; and we believe. in part at least 

 cleaned and prepared by marine insects on the Ice- 

 land shores ; and these creatures are far from the 

 worst preparers of the skeletons of larger animals, 

 when the object is to have them perfectly clean and 

 at the same time quite entire. 



GENERAL PROPERTIES. 



It is impossible to do justice to so complete a 

 piece of natural mechanism in a sketch, and it would 

 be no easy task even for the most elaborate engrav- 

 ing ; but the general arrangement of the bones, and 

 their remarkable compactness and adaptation to the 

 powerful actions of the bill, the feet, and the wings, 

 can be easily seen. Of these actions and their 

 organs, as diversified in different tribes, we shall have 

 occasion to speak afterwards ; but we ma}' here notice 

 that the jer-falcon possesses all the three in the 

 highest perfection ; and that as, although it is a day 

 preyer, it must often prey in lowering and cloudy 

 weather, its power of vision must be strong in pro- 

 portion. It must also, adapted as its plumage is to 

 the violence of storms, have some yery acute means 

 of general perception, otherwise it could not return 

 H 2 



