GREENLAND FALCON. 21 



hawk I suppose an unspotted bird of this species has bred for 

 these last twelve years at Hilleigh Green, near Hackness, four 

 miles from Scarborough." Forty years later it is noticed by Don 

 in his " Forfarshire Fauna," in which, at page 40, the following 

 note occurs: "Falco Candicans Gyr Falcon. I observed one of 

 this species on the estate of Mr Robertson Scott of Hedderwick, 

 in September, 1810; but I rather think it is rare." These records, 

 with that furnished in Low's " Fauna ( )rcadensis," published in 

 1812, were all that we knew of the bird as a Scottish species until 

 1835, when a very fine specimen (which I have seen) was shot at 

 Dechmont, in Lanarkshire; but since that year, as ornithologists 

 have increased, instances of its occurrence have been more fre- 

 quent. These, it may be added, have chiefly happened in the 

 West of Scotland. 



In the Outer Hebrides it is seen occasionally. One was shot by 

 Col. Gordon's keeper in South Uist a few years ago, and examined 

 by Mr Colin M'Vean, who made a careful drawing of the bird; 

 another was killed in North Uist by Mr John M'Donald, Newton, 

 in 1860. A very beautiful male, in fine plumage, was shot in Islay 

 by Peter Mackenzie, gamekeeper to Mr Ramsay of Kildalton, in 

 the autumn of 1862, and exhibited at a meeting of the Natural 

 History Society of Glasgow.* It had been seen for some days 

 previously frequenting a glen on Ramsay's property, and made a 

 bold dash at the keeper's dogs one day as they entered its haunts. 

 This offence was the first and last of its kind; the brave bird 

 forgot it was on the wrong side of Iceland. Mr Elwes has in- 

 formed me that another Gyr Falcon was procured in Islay last 

 year (1867); and I have since learned from Dr Dewar that one 

 was seen in the forest of Black Mount, Argyleshire, about the end 

 of September, 1868, by Mr Peter Robertson, who states that he 

 had several opportunities of observing the bird. It was very 

 fearless, and made repeated swoops at his dogs when out with a 

 shooting party. 



In the third volume of MacGillivray's "British Birds," page 738, 

 the following statement occurs respecting this species: "MrMac- 

 kinnon informs me that this bird breeds on the main island of 



* Since the above was written, I have been informed by Edward C. New- 

 come, Esq., of Feltwell Hall, Brandon, that he has in his collection an immature 

 male, which was shot by J. Campbell, at Foss, on Loch Tummel, in Perthshire, 

 in the spring of 1862. 



