194 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



mostly young birds, wander from their northern home and 

 occur in more southern latitudes. It breeds in Northern 

 Greenland, and probably in all the circumpolar lands, as 

 Dr. Stejneger found it nesting on Bering Island. It also 

 breeds in north-eastern Arctic America, and may possibly do 

 so in other northern portions of the American continent. 



Habits. — In the Middle Ages this splendid bird was in great 

 request among Falconers, and was chiefly used for the capture 

 of Cranjs and Herons, and, in more recent Hawking days, 

 the Greenland Falcon has been trained to catch Hares and 

 Rabbits. In a wild state it feeds on Ptarmigan and Willow- 

 Grouse, as well as Lemmings and other small animals, and, 

 like the Snowy Owl, it has to migrate south in winter, when 

 its food-supply disappears from the arctic tundras, and the 

 country is covered with snow. Although a powerful bird, the 

 Greenland Falcon does not possess the dashing spirit of the 

 Peregrine, and Lord Lilford writes: — "My experience of this 

 bird in captivity is to the effect that it is extremely docile, and 

 a very fine and powerful flyer and stooper, but what we call in 

 Falconry a poor " footer," that is, it is not able, or more prob- 

 ably not disposed, to bind to and grasp its quarry firmly ; it is 

 also by no means hardy of constitution, and is difficult to 

 keep in good condition for field purposes." He also states 

 that an old gamekeeper, John Campbell, told him that he had 

 frequently seen Greenland Falcons near Loch Rannoch in 

 Perthshire during the winter months, and that the birds 

 seemed to prefer Rooks to any other quarry, but that they 

 made the wild-fowl very " uneasy " ; he never saw one in pursuit 

 of a Red Grouse, but once saw one make a stoop at an old 

 Blackcock ; on the whole, from his professional point of view, 

 he did not look upon the Greenlander as such a "bad ver- 

 min ! " as the " Hunting Hawk or Peregrine." 



Nest. — None, the eggs being laid upon the bare rock, but 

 sometimes the old nest of some other bird is adopted. 



Eggs. — Four in number. 



IL THE ICELAND GYR-FALCON. HIEROFALCO ISLANDICUS. 



Falco ishmdicus, Hancock, Ann. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 247 (1839). 

 Fdlco gyrfaico, pt. Macg. Brit. B. iii. p. 284 (1840). 



