274 



JUDCOCK. 



are said to be brown above, white beneath, spotted with brown ; tail 

 grey, with transverse brown lines, which nearly agrees with Temminck's 

 description of the bird in the first and second year. Mr. Pennant says 

 the bill is yellow ; the whole plumage white, marked with dusky lines, 

 spots, or bars ; the head, breast, and belly with narrow lines, thinly scat- 

 tered and pointing- down ; the wings with large heart-shaped spots ; the 

 legs pale blue, and feathered a little below the knees. In the collection 

 of Mr. Comyns is a bird which appears to be a variety of this species. 

 It is white, with a few scattered spots of dusky black on the upper part 

 of the body, and the head streaked the same ; the wings and tail black, 

 the latter with a band of white at the end, and a little white at the 

 base ; the quills slightly tipped with white, the secondary quills and 

 under coverts elegantly barred with black and white. The wings were 

 very short in proportion to the size of the bird, for if the primary quills 

 had been closed, they would certainly not have reached near the end of 

 the tail. 



This species of Falcon is very rare in England. It is known in the 

 northern parts of Scotland, particularly the Orkney and Shetland isles, 

 where it is said to be only a visitant. The Jer Falcon was held in esti- 

 mation in the days of falconry, being- a very bold bird, much used for 

 the larg-er species of g-ame, such as cranes and herons ; it takes its prey 

 by out-soaring, and darting down upon them, which it does with 

 amazing rapidity and force. It builds in high and inaccessible rocks, 

 and lays, according to Fleming, from three to five spotted eggs, about 

 the size of those of the ptarmigan. In the young bird the ground of 

 the plumage is dusky, edged and spotted with white, with the cere and 

 margin of the eye bluish. 



JONQUIL. — A name for the Canary Bird. 



JUDCOCK. — A name for the Jack Snipe. 



