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RURAL HOURS. 
sport; the Gyrfalcon, for instance, an exti'eme northern bird, 
taken in Iceland, whence they were sent to the King of Denmark ; 
a thousand pounds were given for a “cast” of these hawks, in 
the reign of James the Fust. Mr. Nuttall says that occasionally 
a pair of Gyrfalcous are seen in the Northern States, but they are 
very rare. The Duck-hawk, or Peregrine Falcon, is chiefly found 
on the coast, where it makes great havoc among the wild ducks, 
and even attacks the wild geese. The Gyrfalcon is two feet long ; 
the Peregrine Falcon of this country twenty inches, which is 
rather larger than that of Europe. We have also the Goshawk, 
another esteemed bird of sport, of the same tribe ; it is rare here, 
and is larger than that of Eiu-ope. The Gyrfalcon and the Per- 
egrine Falcon are birds that never touch carrion, feeding only 
on their own prey; these belonged to Falconry proper, which 
was considered the nobler branch of the sport. Among the birds 
used for Hawking, strictly speaking, were the Goshawk, the Spar- 
row-hawk, the Buzzard, and the Harpy. 
The Cormorant is another bird of which we have all heard a 
great deal, without, perhaps, having a very clear idea regarding 
it. They are uncouth, aquatic birds, of the largest size — about 
three feet in length — very expert fishers and divers, and voracious 
feeders. In England, they formerly used them for fishing, and 
the Chinese still do so. They are found on our coast, though 
rather rare; a few breed in Boston Bay. The double-crested 
Connorant is the most common on our coast. 
The Pelican, again, is allied to the Cormorant, though distin- 
guished from most other birds by their extraordinary pouch con- 
nected with the gullet. There are two kinds : the large White, 
and the Brown Pelican. They are scattered all over the world. 
