PERNIS. HIEROFALCO. 101 



Pernis apivorus, Hewitson, p. 40; Gray, p. 8; Yarr. ed. 2, i. 



p. 91 ; id. ed. 3, i. p. 98 ; Newton, i. p. 121 ; Gould, i. 



pi. 8 ; Harting, p. 6 ; Dresser, vi. p. 3. 

 Honey Buzzard, Yarr. i. p. 85. 



Apivorus = Bee-eater, from apis + voro. 



A Palsearctic species, occurring also in Africa down to the 

 Cape. A rare summer visitor, occasionally known to breed, in 

 England and Scotland ; still more rare in Ireland. 



Genus HIEROFALCO, Cuvier, Regne Anim. i. p. 312 

 (1817). 



Hierofalco, a hybrid word from tepds = sacred, and falco = a Hawk. Of. 

 the mediaeval falco sacer, our " Saker." 



Hierofalco gyrfalco. GYE FALCON. 



Falco Gyrfalco, Linnaus,- S. N. i. p. 130 (1766). 



Falco gyrfalco, Naum. xiii. p. 22; Gould, pi. 16; [Harting, 

 p. 84] ; Dresser, vi. p. 15. 



Gyrfalco = the Falcon that soars in circles ; from gyrdre = to wheel round, 

 and falco. 



Inhabits Arctic Scandinavia, migrating southwards in 

 winter. One specimen was shot near Orford, in Suffolk, in 

 1867 (Seebohm, Hist. B. B. i. p. 19). 



Hierofalco candicans. GREENLAND FALCON. 

 Falco candicans, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. p. 275 (1788). 



Falco candicans, Naum. i. p. 269, xiii. p. 16 ; Newton, i. p. 36 ; 



Gould, i. pi. 13; Harting, p. 85 ; Dresser, vi. p. 21. 

 Falco gyrfalco, Macg. iii. p. 284 ; Gray, p. 10 ; Yarr. ed. 2, 



i. p. 31 (in part) ; id. ed. 3, i. p. 36 (in part). 

 Gyr-Falcon, Yarr. ed. 1, i. p. 26 (in part). 



Candicans = white, from candico = I am white. 



Resident in the northern districts of North-east America 

 and Greenland ; a scarce occasional visitant from the north 

 to the British Islands. 



