PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 
39 
the conclusion, that under the name Falco Islandicus two distinct species existed ; 
and concluded his paper by stating, that he had retained Latham’s name of 
Islandicus for the true Iceland species, as the most appropriate, it being peculiar 
to that island. The other he named after the country in which it is most 
abundantly procured, Grocnlandicus , and which, in fact, was the name given to 
the young of the other bird by Linnaeus. The descriptions of these birds were 
as follows :— Falco Islandicus , ground of the upper plumage a dark lead or Mouse 
colour, barred and spotted with cream colour, under parts ground buff, marked 
with streaks, heart-shaped spots and bars of dark Mouse colour, wings reaching 
to within one inch and a half of the tail. Synonyms, figures, Szc. :—Iceland 
Falcon, Penn. Arct Zool , adden. C., Vol. I., p. 252 ; Greenland Falcon, Penn. 
Arct. Zool., adden. D., Vol. I., p. 257; Collard Falcon, Penn. Arct. Zool ., Vol. I., 
p. 158; Falco gyrfalco , Turt. Linn., Vol. I., p. 158; Iceland Falcon, Lath., 
No. 50. Dimensions, adult male, length one foot nine inches; extent of wings 
three feet ten inches; female, one foot eleven inches, wings four feet two inches. 
<— Falco Grcenlandicus , ground of the plumage pure white, upper parts elegantly 
marked with arrow-shaped spots of a dark grey, under parts and head streaked 
with the same, wings reaching to within two inches of the end of the tail, second 
primary the largest. Synonyms and figures :—Gyrfalcon, Penn. Arct. Zool 
Vol. I., p. 232; Falco Grcenlandicus , Turt. Linn, (this is the young), Vol. I., 
p. 14-7 ; Falco Islandicus , Turt. Linn., Vol. I.,p. 155 ; Falco candicans , Turt, 
Linn., Vol. L, p. 158 ; Iceland Falcon, Var., Lath., p. 71 ; Spotted Iceland 
Falcon, Var., Lath., 71- Dimensions, adult male, length one foot nine inches ; 
female, length one foot eleven inches ; extent of wings, three feet ten inches. 
The paper was illustrated by some well-executed drawings;- and a stuffed 
specimen of the bird was exhibited. 
Mr. A. Strickland observed that we ought to be careful in making colour a 
means of distinction amongst birds; but considered that the author of the paper 
had substantiated the claims of his bird to be characterised as a distinct species. 
He thought the fact of the existence of two species of this kind was in some 
measure confirmed by the circumstance that falconers were in the habit of 
selecting their falcons from a particular locality, as the others were not so valuable 
birds, those from Iceland being preferred. Why this subject had not been clearly 
understood, was the difficulty of procuring Iceland falcons, which were mono¬ 
polized by the King of Denmark for his private use. This paper seemed, 
however, to have cleared up the difficulty.—Mr. Selby had never had the 
opportunity of seeing this bird before, and his impression, from the remarks in 
the paper, was, that there were two distinct species.—Mr. Fox took this 
opportunity of stating, that in the Museum of the University of Durham there 
was a fine collection of Iceland birds: Mr. Proctor, the sub-curator of the 
