118 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



mottlings of whitish, forming transverse bars ; but terminally and basally they become 

 confused or lost. Wing-formula, 2,3-1,4. Wing, 16.20; tail, 9.50; tarsus, 2.00 -.90; 

 middle toe, 2.05 ; inner, 1.50; outer, 1.50; posterior, .90. 



Hab. Labrador ; south and westward in winter, and shores of Hudson Bay. 



Nos. 17,063 ( 9 , Quebec, W. Cooper) and 34,960 ( 9 , Fort Nescopec, 

 Labrador) differ from the preceding in having ten small narrow transverse 

 spots of reddish-white on the tail-feathers, forming as many indistinct 

 bands ; these spots touch neither the shaft nor the edge of the feather, and 

 are almost concealed, unless the tail is spread ; on the latter specimen they 

 are very obsolete, the subterminal one only being distinct, as in the speci- 

 men selected for description. The upper tail-coverts also show faintly indi- 

 cated spots, and the former specimen has the wing-coverts with very narrow 

 irregular spots on the edge of the feathers. In this specimen there is also 

 one feather in the scapulars which has broader white edges ; it also has the 

 white below about equal to the black in amount ; the anal region, however, 

 in all, is unvaried blackish, and the transverse oblique bands on the lower 

 tail-coverts are a constant feature. 



No. 41,185 ( 9 , Fort Nescopec, Labrador ; H. Conolly) is the darkest of all. 

 In this the blackish plumbeous-brown is uniform over the whole surface ; 

 even the throat is unvariegated. Abdomen with a few of the feathers 

 edged with white, and sides with a few small circular spots of the same ; 

 lower tail-coverts transversely spotted with white ; tibise scarcely variegated, 

 showing only narrow indistinct whitish edges. Mottling on inner webs of 

 primaries reduced so as to be scarcely visible. Tail with the usual number 

 (two) of irregular whitish bars, — one terminal, the other near the end. 



LIST OF SPECIMENS EXAMINED. 



National Museum, 2; Boston Society, 1. Total, 3. 



Measvre.menU. 



Habits. In treatino- of the o-eneral habits of the Gerfalcons of North 

 America it will not be necessary, nor will it be possible, to give the distinc- 

 tive peculiarities belonging to the several forms in which these Falcons 

 occur. Whetlier, on account of their variations of plumage, we consider 

 them as races or as specifically distinct, does not affect their history in this 

 respect. There is no good reason for presuming that they have any very 

 noticeable variations as to any of their habits, although certain writers 

 claim for some of them certain well-marked peculiarities of character. 



In the matter of geographical distribution they are all, for the most 

 part, rarely seen, even in midwinter, south of the 50th parallel of nortli 

 latitude, and are found in the summer as far north as the Arctic Ocean. The 



