CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 1. RAPTORES. 
10 
THE PEREGRINE OR WANDERING FALCON. 
and spotted with white; oeneath it is white, with heart-shaped spots, and bands alternately light 
and dark on the tail. It is a native of Iceland, as its name indicates, but it sometimes migrates 
to the south, though it is said never beyond 60° north latitude. It builds its nests on the loftiest 
peaks of the mountains ; its eggs, to the number of three or four, are of a light yellowish red, 
with close ocher-colored spots. Audubon describes two birds, a male and female, which he con- 
siders of this species, shot by one of his party on the coast of Labrador, in 1833 ; a sketch of 
their figures which he has given is presented at page 17. 
The Jerfalcon, F. Gyrfalcon -of Gmelin, is eighteen inches long, of a brownish-blue above and 
white-spotted beneath. Its proper locality is Norway, but it is sometimes seen in Germany and 
France. The falconers used to obtain it from the remote, wild rocks of Scandinavia, w^here it 
bred. It was less esteemed, however, than the two preceding kinds. 
The Peregrijje or Wandering Falcon, the Faucon Pelerin of the French, the Wander 
Falhe of the Germans, F. peregrinus, is eighteen inches long, of a brownish ash-color above ; be- 
neath, white with longitudinal stripes. It builds on high rocks, generally near the sea-coast, and 
lays two to four whitish eggs, mottled with brown. It flight is rapid, and it descends on its prey 
with almost inconceivable velocity. It feeds chiefly on gallinaceous birds, penguins, and water-fowl. 
It is found throughout Europe. 
The three first of the preceding species — that is, the White Falcon, the Iceland Falcon, and 
the Jerfalcon — though they appear to have been distinguished by falconers in former times, 
have been regarded as one by many naturalists, but M. Schlegel has shown that they are really 
distinct. The changes of plumage have led to confusion, so that one of them has fi'equently 
been mistaken for the other. In their general qualities all the preceding species resemble each 
other. All are exceedingly powerful birds, and of almost incredible swiftness of flight. They 
were all used in falconry ; the Peregrine Falcon, however, having been much more abundant than 
the other species, and also of a more docile temper, was most frequently employed. The White 
