EALCO GYRFALCO. 87 



FALCO GYRFALCO, Linnseus. 

 GYRFALCON. 



O. W. tab. C. 



[Mr. Wolley was, I believe, tlie first natm-alist able to give from his own 

 observation any particulars of the breedino- of this noble bird. I cannot add 

 to the full details which are contained in the following notes. The ciu'ious 

 fact that the Clyrfalcon, like so many other Accipitres, adapts itself to circum- 

 stances, breeding in trees when rocks are wanting near places that abound 

 with food for its offspring, as is the case in the district of Hanhi-jarwi-maa, 

 will not escape the student's notice, and will furnish, I think, another good 

 warning against too hasty generalizations with regard to the habits of a bird 

 or other animal. It was not imtil the fourth summer of Mr. Wolley's resi- 

 dence in Lapland that he became acquainted with this fact, and then, as 

 his remarks show (§ 210), he was justly sceptical conceniing it at first. I 

 must, however, call the reader's attention to an error in two of Mr. Wolley's 

 Sale Catalogues. In that for the year 1866, he stated (p. 8) that the Gyr- 

 falcon was " the only species or race of the Great Falcon which occurs in Lap- 

 land ;" and again in that for the year 1858, he said (p. 10) that " in Scandi- 

 navia the forms found in Greenland and Iceland never seem to occm-." Each 

 of these assertions requires qualification ; for I believe that both FaJco candicuns 

 and F. islatulicus are occasionally met with in Norway or Sweden, though I 

 am not aware that either has been known to breed in the Scandinavian penin- 

 sula. It is therefore necessary to add to each passage, " except as accidental 

 visitors," or words to that effect. I have also here to express my thanks to Mr. 

 Wolf for a beautiful picture, which he was good enough to paint for me from 

 one of the birds to be mentioned hereafter (§ 215). A reduced copy of it, 

 executed by Mr. Jury imder the artist's immediate superintendence, embel- 

 lishes this work (tab. C), and, I think, cannot fail to afford pleasure to na- 

 turalists, as, excepting Herr W. von Wright's figure in the ' Tidskrift for 

 Jagare' (I. pi. xii. p. 353), it is the only representation of the adult female 

 Gyrfalcon that has been published. Of its accuracy I need say nothing, for 

 that is guaranteed by the painter's name.] 



§ 192. i^o^r.— West Fiiinmrk, 7 May, 1854. " J. W. i^JseJ' 



0. W. tab. viii. fig. 1. 



On my way from Hammerfest, 1 intended to visit the Falcons' 

 nests of which 1 had heard from Lassi ; but when I got to Kau- 

 tokeino I was hesitating, for several reasons, whether or not to spare 

 the time that was necessary : the snow might go any day, and 

 I should not get back to Muonioniska; and 1 had some cause for 

 beins: uncertain as to the truth of his account. However, I had the 

 good luck to find his drdng, who said that his master had the day 



