FALCO JWoWtiECBichta-Mttlith, ISLAFBTTS, J.F.OmeV.
Iceland Falcon, adult Waltcrhnp
FALCO ISLANDUS, J
Iceland Falcon.
Falco islandus, J. F. Gmel. ed it Linn. SysL Nat., tom. i. p. 271.
candicans islandicus, Schlfeg. Rev. Crifc des Ois. d’Eur., p. 1.
■-------- var. 0. iritnidicus, Bias. List of Birds of Ear., Eng. edit., p. 1.
— islandicus, Breton, Lehrb., tom. i . p. 44.
Hierofalco islandicus, Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, p . .3.
Falco (.Hierofalco) islandicus, Gray. Handl. of Birds, p. 18.
A s t h e n a m e
ust i
in the arqtm regions.
Falcons, that the yo
fai'-distant countries
young to wander, it
to this species implies, Iceland is its principal home; there it performs the task of
he Gyrfalcon does in Northern Europe, and the succeeding species (Falco candicans)
It is a well-known law o f nature, which more especially prevails among Eagles and
ing are i
>efore tti
is not u
should from time to time be ’
they a r e deposited, may be ft
N e a r l y . a l l , however, have bee<
still less obtained the plumag
mention a fine specimen kit
me thatv'jt was shot by a I
September 1 8 6 4 ; and sent to
t i m e , and killed numbers o f hi
b i r d a n d i t s t w o a l l i e s Fai
P r o f e s s o r S c h l e g e l , o f L e
h a v e b e e n i n c o r p o r a t e d »
t o w h i c h , a s i t i s t o o l e n j
a f e w p a s s a g e s h a v i n g s p c
i n ‘ T h e I b i s * f o r 1 8 6 2 , f
“ A s a c o n s t a n t i n b a b t l
i s l a n d w h e n c e i t t a k e s i t s
o f r o c k b o r d e r i n g t h e m
a n d t h e r e b y s e c u r i n g a p i
c h i e f p r e y o f t h e a d u l t s
t i v e l y d e s e r t e d b ;
e x a m p l e s a n n u a l l
p r o b a b l y , m o r e h
r e c o r d e d a s s e e n
¡ither driven forth by their parents or take upon themselves to wander into
ey become domiciled in their native home. From this tendency o f the
rprising that Scotland and the northern and some other parts o f England
sited by examples o f this species, records of which, and in whose collections
»nd in the ‘Zoologist’ and other journals devoted to British ornithology,
young birds of the year, which had not yet commenced their second moult,
borne for the remainder o f their lives. Among these I may particularly
ily sent up for my inspection by Dr. Dewar, o f Glasgow, who informs
¡end of his in the island of North Uist, one of the Outer Hebrides, in
im m the flesh. I t had frequented his friend’s poultry-yard for a considerable
chickens. I t was not at all shy. In April or May 1866 the same gentleman
nted the poultry-yard daily for a m onth; this, unfortunately, was not preserved,
authorities of the Norfolk and Norwich Museum for the loan of another fine
probable that instances of the appearance o f the adult in Britain may also
a t has been recorded ; for Professor Newton informs us that “ Mr. Borrer
ion shot at Mayfield, in Sussex, in January 1845.” There is also another in
ioual Collection, said to have been killed in England; but where, is unknown,
ralists who have paid especial attention to the history and changes o f this fine^
hdkans and F. gyrfalco, namely the late Mr. Hoy, Mr. Hancock, o f Newcastle,
, a n d P r o f e s s o r N e w t o n , a l l t h e m o r e i m p o r t a n t p o i n t s o f w h o s e o b s e r v a t i o n s
a l u a b l e a r t i c l e o n t h e s u b j e c t i n t h e n e w e d i t i o n o f * Y a r r e l l ’ s B r i t i s h B i r d s ,
o h r q u o t e d , I m u s t r e f e r m y r e a d e r s , a n d c o n t e u t m y s e l f w i t h e x t r a c t i n g
r e f e r e n c e t o t h e p r e s e n t s p e c i e s . T h e s u b j e c t h a s a l s o b e e n m o s t a b l y t r e a t e d
a q u a t i c o
visit t h e
re o c c u r »
>r taken I
perhaps r a t h e 1 fewer.
j b i r d i s b e l i e v e d t o
r a r e o c c u r r e n c e a l o n g t h e c o ;
R i c h a r d s o n ’ s a c c o u n t , i t i s n o
b r e e d s . O n t h e w e s t e r n s i
M r . D a l i t o b e r e s i d e n t a n d i
B a i r d , b o t h t h e r e a n d o n th
islandus c r o s s e s t o A s i a c a s s t
,y s P r o f e s s o r N e w t o n , “ t h e I c e l a n d F a l c o n i s o n l y k n o w n i n t h e
> b y n o m e a n s u n c o m m o n , b r e e d i n g i n p r e c i p i t o u s c l i f f s o r r a n g e s
i c h a r e t h r o n g e d ¿ l u r i n g t h e s u m m e r b y i n n u m e r a b l e w a t e r f o w l ,
„ i d f o r i t s o f f s p r i n g , t h o u g h i t i s s t a t e d t h a t P t a r m i g a n s f o r m t h e
v o t i n g a s p a s s t h e w i n t e r i n t h a t c o u n t r y , w h e n i t i s c o m p a r a -
. ( ■ t b e y o u n g , h o w e v e r , w a n d e r s o u t h w a r d a t t h a t s e a s o n ; a n d
my, D e n m a r k , G e r m a n y , a n d H o l l a n d . I n t h e B r i t i s h I s l a n d s ,
i G r e e n l a n d F a l c o n ; b u t o f t h e m a n y ' s o - c a l l e d * G y r F a l c o n s ’
e r w h i c h c a n b e w i t h c e r t a i n t y d e t e r m i n e d t o b e I c e l a n d e r s i s
g } a n d , h u t o n l y i n t h e s o u t h e r n p a r t s , a n d s e e m s t o b e o f n o t v e r y
r , w h e r e , a c c o r d i n g t o A u d u b o n , i t a l s o b r e e d s . T o j u d g e f r o m
n t h e f w - c o u n t r i e s , w h e r e i t , a s w e l l a s Falco candicans, p r o b a b l y
( m e a t a d u l t s h a v e b e e n o b t a i n e d i n A l a s k a , w h e r e i t i s s a i d b y
< 1 t o t h e m o u n t a i n s , b r e e d i n g , a c c o r d i n g t o P r o f e s s o r s p e n c e r r
c k e n z i e R i v e r , i n d i f f e r e n t l y , o n t r e e s a n d c l i f f s W h e t h e r Falco