and also at the notchings. Cere, orbits, and legs, yellow, which seems to
increase in depth. When I first had it, they were not then tinged with
yellow, but the colour of a very white-legged fowl: claws black and
powerful, inner one largest. The eye, which is exceedingly bright and
piercing, and does not appear to have changed, seems black, but on elose
inspection, in a good light, is evidently dark-brown. Between the cere
and the orbits, and under the eye, the hairy feathers, which lie close, and
are pure white, are intermixed with hairs of black, which lie pretty close
to the head.
" Were I to guess the weight, I should say it was double that of the
Rough-legged Falcon. The wings reach nearly to the tip of the tail.11
The above detailed account appears to me to furnish a better description
of the adult Jer Falcon than any that I have met with, and cannot
fail to be acceptable to ornithologists.
On inquiring of a Mr JONES, who had been a resident in Labrador for
twenty years, I was informed that these Hawks feed on and destroy an immense
number of hares, Rock Partridges, and Willow Grous; but he
could not give me any information as to the change of plumage, never
having seen them in any other state than that of the individuals represented
in my plate, which I shewed to him. The fishermen called them
Duck Hawks, and some of them reported many exploits performed by them,
which I think it unnecessary to repeat, as I considered them exaggerated.
FAECO ISEANDICUS, Lath. Ind. Ornith. p. 32. Adult.—F. RCSTICOLUS, Idem, p. 28.
Adult.—F. GYitrALCo, Idem, p. 32. Young F. SACER, F. OESCURUS, and F.
LAGOPUS /3, Idem.—Temminck, Manual, part i. p. 17-—Swains, and Richards.
Fauna Bor. Amer. vol ii. p. 27-
GVRFALCON, FALCO ISEAXDICUS, Nnttall, Manual, part i. p. 5 1 .
Male in immature state. Plate CXCVI. Fig. 1.
Bill shortish, as broad as deep at the base, the sides convex, the dorsal
outline curved from the base ; upper mandible cerate, the edges a little
inflected, rather obtuse, nearly straight to the tooth-like process, which
is rather rounded, the tip trigonal, descending, acute ; lower mandible involute
at the edges, truncate at the end, with a notch near it on either
side, corresponding to the process above. In an individual which I have
seen, the margin line of the upper mandible was undulated, or formed a
festoon behind the tooth, but in my two specimens, the skin of one of
which is now before me, it is quite straight when viewed directly, although
when placed obliquely it shews a slight undulation. Nostrils round,
basal, lateral, with a soft papilla in the centre, connected with the upper
edge. Head rather large and round ; neck shortish ; body ovate, anteriorly
broad ; the whole conformation indicative of great strength and activity,
such as befit a hunter. Legs robust, short; tarsus feathered more
than half way down, their exposed part covered anteriorly with small
quincuncial transversely oblong scales, as is the proximal portion of all
the toes, posteriorly with smaller papular scales (there are no broad scales
or other scutella on the tarsus, as in most other Hawks, and in the Peregrine).
Toes, excepting at the base, covered above with broad scales or
scutella, scabrous and tubercular below; middle and outer toes connected
by a membrane; second and fourth toes nearly equal, the latter very little
longer, the hind toe shortest, but with the longest claw; claws strong,
curved, acute, margínate beneath, convex above.
Plumage compact, imbricated. Feathers of the head short and narrow,
of the back rounded, of the neck and breast broadly oblong, of the
thighs long and rounded. Space between the bill and eye covered with
short bristly feathers. Wings long, about four inches shorter than the
tail; the third quill longest, but scarcely longer than the second, the first
and fourth of the same length. The first and second are cut out or sinuated
on the inner edge towards the tip, the second slightly. The tail
is long, straight, slightly rounded, of twelve broad feathers, which at the
end suddenly taper to a point. When worn, they seem rounded, but in
my specimens the plumage was new.
Bill and cere pale blue, the rather narrow ridge of the upper mandible
darker. Iris brownish-black. Feet greyish-blue, the under parts of
the toes greenish-yellow ; claws dusky. The general colour of the plumage
above, is brownish-grey, the feathers having a very narrow margin
of paler. Some of the upper tail-coverts are tipped with brownish-white,
and the base or concealed part of the posterior cervical feathers is of that
colour. The quills are more or less mottled with brownish-white on the
inner webs. The tail is transversely barred with thirteen rows of transversely
oblong spots of brownish-white, confined chiefly to the inner webs,
although there are some on the outer ones towards their end; the tips are
of the same light colour. A few of these spots appear on the upper surface
of the feathers towards their extremities. The tail is moreover very
obscurely barred with darker. The two middle feathers are without
white spots. The throat is brownish-white, finely streaked with brown.