CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 275 



to be a "winterer" in the northern parts of Canada where its prey 

 is said to consist chiefly of ptarmigan. The alUed F. rusticolus or 

 probably F. Islandus, breeds in small numbers in the same region, 

 as the Indians often spoke of a large hawk, twice observed by 

 myself, which had successfully eluded all attempts to capture itself 

 or its eggs. {Macjarlane.) ' 



3546. Black Gyrfalcon. 



Falco rusticolus obsoletus (Gmel.) Stejn. 1885. 



Abundant at Fort Chimo, Ungava. Eggs obtained 24th May. 

 Very rare in winter. (Packard.) Common near Cape Chidley, 

 Ungava, and inland. (A. P. Low.) Common on the river below 

 Fort Chimo, Ungava, Sept. i8th, 1896. (Spreadborough.) Rare on 

 the Labrador coast; one taken at Port Manvers in 1901. (Bigelow.) 

 Rare winter visitor in Nova Scotia. (H. F. Tufts.) A number of 

 individuals of this species have been taken at Godbout, on the lower 

 St. Lawrence, by Mr. Comeau and I have known two individuals to 

 be taken at Quebec. (Dionne.) 



In 1896 Mr. John Burton, of Hamilton, presented me with a skin 

 of this bird which he obtained at Long point. Lake Erie, in the fall 

 of 1893. This is the only record of this bird occurring in Ontario. 

 Mr. Mcllwraith, of Hamilton, in his work, "Birds of Ontario," has 

 no record of this bird, although at the time he wrote his book there 

 was the above skin at the home of Mr. Burton in Hamilton. This 

 skin is now in the possession of Mr. Fleming, of Toronto, whose 

 collection is rich in rare Ontario birds. (W. Raine.) Mr. Fleming 

 writes that this bird more nearly approaches F. rusticolus gyrfalco 

 than F. r. obsoletus. 



Seton, in his "Birds of Manitoba," doubtfully refers this bird to 

 that province as a winter visitor. Later, in The Auk, Vol. X, p. 49, 

 he says: "Since I wrote the 'Birds of Manitoba,' two fine specimens 

 have been taken, and are now in the Manitoba museum." In the 

 opinion of the writer his quotations from Hearne and Hutchins refer 

 to the preceding subspecies and not to this one. Criddle says this 

 bird is rare at Aweme, Man. 

 .18'^ 



