FALCO. 
696 
and with a red iris: the head, neck, breast, 
and belty, are white; the upper part of the 
back and wings a dark purple ; but more dusky 
towards the lower parts, with a tincture of 
green. The wings are long in proportion to the 
body, and when extended, measure four 
feet. 1 he tail is dark purple mixed with 
green, and remarkably forked. This most 
elegant species inhabits the southern parts 
of North America only during summer. 
Like swallows, they feed chieily flying; 
for they are much on wing, and prey 
on various sorts of insects. They also feed 
on lizards and serpents; and will kill the 
largest of the regions it frequents with the 
utmost ease. They quit North America be- 
fore winter, and are supposed to retreat to 
Peru. 
17. Malisfus, the fishing-hawk of Catesby, 
sometimes called the osprey, weighs 3 pounds 
and a quarter ; it measures, from one end of 
'the wing to the other, five feet and a half. 
The bill is black, with a blue cere or wax ; 
the iris of the eye is yellow, and the crown 
of the head brown, with a mixture of white 
•feathers ; from each eye, backwards, runs a 
brown stripe : the back, wings, and tail, are 
of a dark brown ; the throat, neck, and belly, 
white ; the legs and feet are rough and scaly, 
and of a pale blue colour ; the talons are 
black, and nearly of an equal size : the fea- 
thers of the thighs are short, and adhere close 
to them, contrary to others of the hawk 
kind, which nature seems to have designed 
for the more easily penetrating the water. 
Notwithstanding this bird is so persecuted 
-by the bald eagle, yet it always keeps near 
fits haunts. It is a species of vast quickness 
of sight; and will see a fish near the surface 
from a great distance, descend with prodi- 
gons rapidity, and carry the prey with an ex- 
ulting scream high into the air. The eagle 
hears the note, and instantly attacks the fishing- 
hawk: who drops the fish, which the former 
catches before it can reach the ground or wa- 
ter. The lower parts of the rivers and creeks 
near the sea, in America, abound with these 
eagles and hawks, where such diverting con- 
tests are often seen. It sometimes happens 
that this bird perishes in taking its prey ; for 
if it chances to fix its talons in an overgrown 
fish it is drawn underwater before it can dis- 
engage itself, and is drowned. See Plate Nat. 
Hist. fig. 1-94. 
18. The gyrfalco, or Iceland falcon, has a 
strong bill, much hooked, the upper mandi- 
ble sharply angulated on the lower edges, 
with a blueish wax: the head is of a very 
.pale rust-colour, .streaked downwards with 
dusky lines : the neck, breast, and bellv, are 
white, marked with corclated spots'; the 
thighs'white, crossed with short bars of deep 
brown : the back and coverts of the wings 
are dusky, spotted, and edged with white; 
the exterior webs of the primaries dusky mot- 
tled with reddish-white, the inner barred 
with white ; the feathers of the tail are crossed 
with 14 or more narrow bars of dusky and 
white, the dusky bars regularly opposing 
those of white :rihe wings, when closed, reach 
almost to the end of the train : the legs are 
strong and yellow. The length of the wing, 
from the pinion to the tip, is sixteen inches. 
This species is an inhabitant of Iceland, and 
s the most esteemed of any for the sport 
©f falconry. 
49. The fuse us, or Greenland eagle, has 
dusky irides; lead-coloured wax and feet; 
brown crown, marked with irregular oblong 
white spots; whitish forehead; blackisii 
cheeks ; the hind part of the head and throat 
white ; breast and belly of a yellowish white, 
striped downwards with dusky streaks ; the 
back dusky, tinged with blue, the ends of the 
feathers lightest, and sprinkled over with a 
few white spots, especially towards the rump ; 
the wings of the same colours, variegated be- 
neath with white and black; the upper part of 
the tail dusky, crossed very faintly with paler 
bars, the under side whitish. It inhabits all 
parts of Greenland, from the remotest hills to 
those which impend over the sea. They are 
even seen on the islands of ice remote from 
shore. They retire in the breeding-season 
to the farthest part of the country, and re- 
turn in autumn with their young. They 
breed in the same manner as ' the cinereous 
eagle, but in more distant places ; and lay 
from three to five eggs. The tail of the 
young is black, with great brown spots on the 
exterior webs. They prey on ptarmigans, 
auks, and all the small bird's of the country. 
They have frequent disputes with the raven, 
but seldom come off victors ; for the raven 
will, on being attacked, fling itself on its back ; 
and either by defending itself with its claws, 
or by calling, with its croaking, numbers of 
others to its help, oblige the falcon to retire. 
The Greenlanders use the skin, among others, 
for their inner garments ; the wings for 
brushes; the feet for amulets; but seldom 
eat the flesh, unless compelled by hunger. 
20. The candicans, or white gyrfalcon of 
Pennant, has the wax and bill blueish, the 
latter greatly hooked ; the eye dark-blue ; 
the throat of a pure white ; the whole body, 
wings, and tail, of the same colour, most ele- 
gantly marked with dusky bars, lines, or spots, 
leaving the white the far prevailing colour. 
There are instances, hut rare, of its being found 
entirely white. In some, the whole tail is 
crossed by remote bars of black or brown ; 
in others, they appear only very faintly on 
the middle feathers ; the feathers of the 
thighs are very long and unspotted ; the legs 
strong, and of a light blue. Its weight is 
45 ounces troy ; length near two feet, ex- 
tent four feet two. This species has the 
same manners and haunts with the former. It 
is very frequent in Iceland ; is found in Lap- 
mark and Norway, and rarely in the Ork- 
neys and North Britain. In Asia, it dwells in 
the highest points of the Uralian and other 
Siberian mountains, and dares the coldest cli- 
mates throughout the year. It is kept in the 
latitude of Petersburg^, uninjured in the open 
air during the severest winters. This species 
is pre-eminent in courage as well as beauty, 
and is the terror of the other hawks. It 
was flown at all kinds of fowl, how great so- 
ever they were : but its chief game used to be 
herons and cranes. 
The last three species are in high esteem 
for sport. They are reserved for the kings 
of Denmark ; who send their falconer with 
two attendants annually into Iceland to pur- 
chase them. They are caught by the natives, 
a certain number of whom in every district 
are licensed for that purpose. The Ice- 
land falcons will last ten or twelve years ; 
whereas those of Norway, and other countries, 
seldom are fit for sport after two or three 
vears. Yet the Norwegian hawks were 
in old times in great repute in this king- 
dom, and even thought bribes worthy of a 
king. 
21. The aviporus, with black wax, yellow 
legs half-naked, the head ot an ash-colour, 
and having an ash-coloured stripe on the tail, 
which is white at the end. It is the honey- i 
buzzard of Ray, and had that name from the ! 
combs of bees or wasps being found in its nest, j 
It is a native of Europe, and feeds on mice, j 
lizards, frogs, bees, &c. It runs very swiftly, 
like a hen. J 
22. The aeruginosus, or moor-buzzard, 
with greenish wax, a greyish body, the top i 
of the head, nape of the neck, and legs, yel- j 
lowish ; is a native of Europe, and frequents j 
moors, marshy places, and heaths : t never 
soais like other hawks; but commonly sits ! 
on the ground, or on small bushes. It makes 
its nest in the midst of a tuft of grass, or 
lushes. It is a very fierce and voracious j 
bird; and is a great destroyer of rabbits, 
young wild ducks, and other water-fowl. It 
alsopreys, like the fishing-hawk, on fish. 
23. The palumbarius, with black wax 
edged with yellow, yellow legs, a brown 
body, the prime feathers of the tail marked 
with pale streaks, and the eyebrows white. 
It is the gos-hawk of Ray; and was formerly 
in high esteem among falconers, being flown 
at cranes, geese, pheasants, and partridges. It 
breeds 111 Scotland, and builds its nest in trees. 
It is destructive to game, and dashes through 
the voods after its quarry with vast impetuo- 
sity; but if it cannot catch the object of its pur- 
suit almost immediately, desists, and perches 
on a bough till some new game presents itself. 
I his species is common in Muscovy and Si- 
beria. They extend to the river Amur ; and 
are used by the emperor of China in his sport- 
mg progresses, attended by his grand fal- 
coner, and 1 000 of the subordinate. Every 
bird has a silver plate fastened to its foot', 
vvitli the name of the falconer who has the 
charge of it ; that, incase it should be lost, it 
might be brought to. the proper person : but 
if he could not be found, the bird is delivered 
to another officer, called the guardian of lost 
birds ; who keeps it till it is demanded by the 
falconer to whom it belonged. That this 
great officer may the more readily be found 
among the army of hunters who attend the 
emperor, he erects a standard in the most 
conspicuous place. 
24. The nisus, or sparrowhawk, with green 
wax, yellow legs, a white belly undulated with 
grey, and the tail marked with blackish belts. 
I lus is the most pernicious hawk we have* 
and makes great havock among pigeons as 
well as partridges. It builds in hollow trees, 
in old nests of crows, large ruins, and high 
rocks: it lays four white eggs, encircled 
near the blunter end with red specks. 
25. The minutus, with white wax, yellow- 
legs, and the body white underneath. It is 
the least hawk ot Brisson, being about the size 
of a thrush : and is found on the island of 
Melita. 
Besides these we may mention the litho- 
talco, or stone falcon, which inhabits many 
parts of Europe, and is about a foot long • 
the bill blueish-ash ; irids yellow ; two mid- 
dle tail-feathers uniform, the rest barred with 
brown: the gallicus or French eagle, so 
called from its being found chiefly in France 
about two feet long, feeds on rats, mice, and 
frogs ; it builds its nest mostly on the ground ; 
