24 NORWEGIAN JER-FALCON. 
bird—having “dark feathers with hight markings;” and 
these differences, in the last paper referred to, Mr. 
Hancock says exist at all ages, and are permanent and 
specific distinctions. 
In 1844 Schlegel published his ‘‘Revue Critique des 
Oiseaux d’Europe,” and subsequently his splendid 
“'Tyaité de Fauconnerie,” in which he describes and 
in the latter illustrates with beautiful drawmgs by 
Wolff, three distinct species of Jer-Falcon, under the 
names of Falco Candicans, (Greenlandicus of Hancock ;) 
Falco Islandicus, (Islandicus of Hancock;) and Falco 
Gyr-falco, the subject of the present notice. 
In 1854 Mr. Hancock published a second paper in 
the “Annals,” in which he corrects some important 
mistakes he had made in his first, regarding the plumage 
of the whiter species when young. Mr. H. having had 
an opportunity of examining upwards of one hundred 
and fifty specimens, is now quite convinced that the 
Iceland and Greenland Falcons are distinct species or 
races; that the Greenland Falcon is never dark like 
the Iceland, however young; and that the adult is 
distinguished more by the difference of shape in the 
markings, than by the colour. 
This, I believe, is the position in which this inter- 
esting discussion now stands. I will not offer any 
further observations about the Greenland and Iceland 
birds, but proceed to lay before my readers a history 
of, and Schlegel’s description of the third species; the 
Norwegian Jer-Falcon. 
Buffon gives two figures of this bird; one of a young 
subject under the name of Norwegian Falcon, and the 
adult simply as Ger-Falcon. Linnzus appears to des- 
cribe the female of adult age under the name of 
Rusticolus, and the young male as Lanarius. His 
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