354b. Black Gyrfalcon. 



Falco rusticolus obsoletus. 



Range. — Labrador; south casually, in winter, 

 to Long Island. 



A slightly darker variety. Eggs indistin- 

 guishable. Data. — Ungava coast, Labrador, 

 May 25, 1900. Nest a heap of seaweed and 

 feathers on sea cliff, containing three eggs. 



355. Prairie Falcon. Falcon mexicanus. 

 Range.— United States west of the Missis 

 sippi, and from Dakota and Washington south- 

 ward to Mexicd. 



BIRDS OF PREY 



•»■•.■• 



'^/wv^aaiaj,. 



• ^- ~ -"^ - 



Prairie Falcon 

 This species abounds in suitable lo- 

 calities, generally placing its nests 

 upon rocky ledges and cliffs, and some- 

 times trees, generally upon the banks 

 ULikiisii buff of some stream. The nests are masses 



of sticks, lined with weeds and grasses. The three or four eggs have a reddish 

 buff ground color, and are thickly sprinkled and blotched with reddish buff 

 brown and chestnut; size 2.05x1.60. 



356a. Duck Hawk. Falco peregrinus aiiatum. 



Range. — Whole of North America, breeding locally, chiefly in mountainous re- 

 gions, throughout its range. 



This beautiful species, characterized by its black moustache, is the most 

 graceful, fearless, and swiftest of the Falcons, striking down birds of several 

 times its own weight, such as some of the larger Ducks. It breeds quite 

 abundantly on tlie Pacific coast and in certain localities in the Dakotas, laying 



its eggs on the rocky ledges. Their eggs are 

 ' similar to those of the Prairie Falcon, but are 



Puck Hawl. 



Buff or reddish buff 



darker and brighter, in fact they are the dark- 

 est, brightest marked, and most beautiful of 

 Falcon eggs; size 2.05x1.55. 

 219 



