540 FALCO 



white striped with dark brown, the upper parts dark brown with buffy 

 white margins, the under parts white, on the throat narrowly and other- 

 wise broadly and closely striped with dark brown, sometimes so closely 

 that scarcely any white is visible. 



Hob. Northern Scandinavia and Lapland, rarely straying 

 down to continental Europe ; has once or twice been obtained 

 in England ; of doubtful occurrence in North Asia ; Arctic 

 North America. 



Inhabits rocky localities and is a bold powerful bird, swift 

 on the wing, and when caught and trained highly esteemed 

 for falconry purposes being docile and courageous. It feeds 

 on small mammals, such as squirrels, lemmings, &c., and 

 birds, especially Willow Grouse and Ptarmigan. Its nest, 

 which is constructed of sticks sparingly lined with grass, is 

 placed on a rock or a tree, sometimes even on the ground, and 

 in April or May 3 to 4 eggs are deposited, which are somewhat 

 finer in texture of shell than those of F. islandus, and are sa 

 closely spotted or freckled with fox-red or reddish orange on a 

 dull white ground that the ground-colour is often entirely 

 obscured. In size they measure about 2*29 by 1/81. 



758. GREENLAND FALCON. 

 FALCO CANDICANS. 



Falco candicans, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 275 (1788) ; Naum. i. p. 269, Taf.. 

 21 ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. i. pis. xiii., xiv., xv. ; Newton, i. p. 36 ;, 

 (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 411 ; Dresser, vi. p. 21, pis. 368,. 

 369 ; Saunders, p. 341 ; Lilford, i. p. 36, pi. 18 ; Falco islandicus,. 

 Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 32 (1790) ; Audubon, B. Am. pi. 366 ; Gould,, 

 B. of E. i. pi. 19 ; F. islandus, Ridg. p. 244 (nee. Gmel.) ; F. holboelli* 

 Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1873, p. 415 ; (id.), Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 415,, 

 pi. xiii. 



Kirksoviarsuk-kakortuin ak, Green 1 . 



ad. (Greenland). General colour white, the feathers on the upper 

 parts marked with a wide V-shaped black spot towards the tip, quills 

 marked with black towards the tip ; tail pure white, under parts slightly 

 striated with black on the lower flanks ; bill yellowish, becoming horn- 

 blue towards the tip ; legs yellowish ; iris dark brown. Culmen 1'3, 

 wing 14'0, tail 8*2, tarsus 2 '7 5 inch. Female similar but larger. The. 

 young birds are more or less striped, with broad almost drop-shaped 

 blackish brown markings above, and the head and under parts with narrow 

 stripes, and the tail is more or less marked with blackish brown ; bill pale 

 horn-blue ; legs greyish blue. 



