JERFALCON . — Falco Gyrfalco . 
The Jerfalcon is another of our British birds. It was formerly much 
employed in the sport of hawking, and the young were procured from their 
nests by bold persons who would risk their lives upon the lofty cliffs of Iceland 
and Norway, on which its nest is made. The training of this Falcon is a difficult 
task, and is seldom finished in less than two months. 
When at liberty in its native land, it seems to prefer birds to any other kind of 
prey, and will resolutely attack birds of considerable size, such as the heron or 
stork. It will also chase hares and rabbits, and in the pursuit of this swift game 
is so eager, that after knocking over one hare it will leave the maimed animal 
struggling on the ground while it goes off in chase of another. Although its home is 
in the chilly wastes of these northern regions, the bird is in no want of food, 
finding ample supply in the sea birds that swarm around the tall cliffs that jut 
into the waves, and being able from its great powers of flight to range over a vast 
extent of country in search of its daily food. 
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