History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Gyrfalco. BIRDS. ACCIPITRES. 5114. G. candkans.— Plumage white, with duskylines or spots.Gyrfalco, Will. Orn. 44. Sibb. Scot. 14. Penn. Brit. Zool. 1. 177—T.rusticolus and fuscus, Fab. Fauna Gr. 55 Falco Islandicus, Temm. Orn.1. 17 W, Hebog chwyldro In Scotland rare; Aberdeen, Pennant;Orkney, Low.Length 1 foot 10 inches. Bill, cere, and feet yellow, more or less tingedwith blue. The dark spots on the wings are large.The throat and longthigh-feathers pure white ; the rest of the plumage below white, with narrowdusky stripes.The tail, consisting of 12 feathers, has dark bands, from 12 to14 hi number, and is longer than the wings. The female has the dusky markingslarger and more numerous on the under side. Breeds in rocks, and laysfrom 3 to 5 spotted eggs of the size of a ptarmigan. The young birds havethe ground of the plumage dusk}', edged and spotted with white, with thecere and margin of the eye bluish—Feeds on birds, darting down upon themlike an arrow The Spotted Falcon of Pennant, Brit. ZooL i. 189., seems tobe a young bird of this species.Gen. VIII. BALBUSARDUS, (Pandion of Savigny),Osprey.— Outer toe capable of having its position andmotion reversed, and having a larger claw than the innertoe.15. B. Halicetus.— Wings longer than the tail. Tarsi short,thick, and reticulated.Balbusardus, Will. Orn. 37- Sibb. Scot. 15 Osprey, Penn. Brit. Zool. i.174—Falco Hal. Temm. Orn. i. 47 W, Pysg Eryr, Gwalch y weilgi;G, Iolair uisge.— Frequents the margins of large rivers and lakes.Length 23, breadth 64 inches ; weight G2 ounces ; bill black, cere and legsblue, irides yellow. The plumage above is brown ;the feathers on the headedged with white ;hind head white. Below, it is white. Beneath the eye isa band of brown, reaching almost to the shoulder. Quills, about 28 ; thosefrom the 17th to the base, pointed; inner webs of the four first abbreviatedat the extremity. Tail of 12 equal feathers ; the two middle ones dusky the;others barred with brown and white. Tibiae long. Soles of the feet veryrough. Montagu states (Sup. Orn. " Diet.), that, on the inner side of theextremity of the outer toe are two or three spines." Breeds on the ground,among reeds, or on trees. Eggs 3 or 4, white and elliptical. Young with thefeathers on the breast vellow, with dusky or brown spots.— Feeds on fishchiefly, darting upon them in the water.Gen. IX. MILVUS. Kite.---Tarsi plated,short.16. M. vulgaris.— Plumage, above, deep brown, with paleedges ;beneath, ferruginous, with dark longitudinal stripes.Will. Orn. 41. . Sibb. Scot. 15. Penn. Brit. Zool. i. 185 Falco milvus,Temm. Orn. i. 59— W, Barcud; G, Clamhan gabhlach, Cromanlochaidh.—Woodedsituations, but not common.Length 28, breadth G4 inches ; weight 44 ounces. Bill yellowish, with adusky tip ; cere and irides yellow. The feathers on the head are light-coloured,with a dark streak on the shafts. Quills 24 ; inner webs of the first four, andouter webs of the third and fourth, abbreviated ; black at the extremities.Two outer tail-feathers more produced, and darker than the others. Thefemale has the brown and pale edges of the feathers more distinct, the latterpassing into white. Breeds in trees, making a nest of sticks, lined with wool.i>2