4. ICELAND FALCON. _Falco islandus_, Gmelin.--An Iceland Falcon was killed on the little Island of Herm on the 11th of April, 1876, where it had been seen about for some time, by the gamekeeper. It had another similar bird in company with it, and probably the pair were living very well upon the game-birds which had been imported and preserved in that island, as the keeper saw them kill more than one Pheasant before he shot this bird. The other fortunately escaped. The bird which was killed is now in my possession, and is a fully adult Iceland Falcon, and Mr. Couch, the bird-stuffer who skinned it, informed me a male by dissection. Though to a certain extent I have profited by it, so far as to have the only Channel Island example of the Iceland Falcon in my possession, I cannot help regretting that this bird was killed by the keeper, as it seems to me not impossible that the two birds being together in the island so late as the 11th of April, and certainly one, probably both, being adult, and there being plenty of food for them, might, if unmolested, have bred in the island. Perhaps, however, this is too much to have expected so far from their proper home. It would, however, have been interesting to know how late the birds would have remained before returning to their northern home; but the breeding-season for the Pheasants was beginning, and this was enough for the keeper, as he had actually seen two or three Pheasants--some hens--killed before he shot the Falcon. As these Falcons can only be considered very rare accidental visitants to the Islands, it may be interesting to some of my readers to mention that they may distinguish them easily by colour, the Greenland, _Falco candicans_, being always the most white, and the Norway bird--the Gyr Falcon of falconers--being the darkest, the Iceland Falcon (the present species) being intermediate. This is generally a good guide at all ages, but occasionally there may be some difficulty in distinguishing young birds, especially as between the Iceland and the Norway Falcon. In a doubtful case in the Channel Islands, however, it would always be safer to consider the bird an Iceland rather than a Norway Falcon.