86 
Mr, Breeds ‘ Birds of Europe 
yet had opportunities of observing the peculiarities of each bird 
of prey in a manner not possessed by us. To suppose that 
they did not apply in the closet what they learned in the field, 
would be to deny them common sense. Hence they are still to 
be regarded as good authorities on these points; and there can 
be no manner of doubt that all the species of Falco described 
by Linnaeus and his contemporaries were founded not more on 
any diagnoses of their own than upon the traditions of fal¬ 
coners. The truth of this, every day's experience tends to con¬ 
firm. At the present time, indeed, many people have but a 
faint idea of what a Gyrfalcon is*; but we beg to assure our 
readers that the different words “ Gyrfalco," “ Gyrfalcon," 
“ Gerfaut," and “ Geierfalke," should never be applied to any 
but the great falcon of Scandinavia; and we repeat that the 
calling this bird F. gyrfalco norvegicus signifies that there is 
a F. gyrfalco from some other country, which is putting upon 
the name of old writers a meaning it will not bear. 
That the true Gyrfalcon has occurred in this country, we 
certainly think probable; but it must be borne in mind that 
nearly all the large northern falcons killed here are young birds 
of the year, and that it is not easy, though, we think, always 
possible, to detect the Icelander from the Gyrfalcon when imma¬ 
ture. With all due deference to Mr. Gurney's opinion as 
quoted by Mr. Bree, we believe that the late Mr. Charles St. 
John was right in calling the bird killed in Ross-shire in 1851, 
which has since passed into Mr. Gurney’s possession, an “ Ice¬ 
land Falcon." 
We are further much indebted to Mr. Bree for keeping- 
distinct the long-confounded Saker and Banner (F. sacer , Gm. 
and F. lanarius, Schl.). The latter bird has a good claim to be 
included in the British list; for Lewin's figure (Br. Birds, i. t. 17) 
seems referable only to this species, and the subject of it was 
* We lately found, in a somewhat celebrated museum in this island, 
until a few years since presided over by a naturalist whose memory is 
still dear to his disciples, an example of the North American Goshawk 
(Astur atricapillus ) labeled as a Gyrfalcon !; and to make the matter 
worse, this was, we suspect, under its rightful appellation a type specimen 
of one of the best ornithological works in the English language, and ac¬ 
tually the subject of a very accurate plate therein !! 
