368 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 

 Falco islandus Brtinn. 

 White or Iceland Gyrfalcon. 



Common permanent resident. 



There is great confusion as to the specific status of the gyrfalcons, 

 and it is thought by some that there may be only one species with 

 various color phases. The four forms have all been observed and 

 specimens taken in Labrador. Two, the white and the black forms, 

 have been found breeding. Our own observations of this class of 

 falcons in Labrador were very meager. They will be referred to 

 later. We have entered here all the records for Labrador we could 

 obtain. 



Audubon describes a pair of adults of this species shot on August 

 6, 1833, eight or ten miles from Bradore on the south coast of Labrador. 

 Their full-grown young escaped. The nest was on a cliff and was 

 surrounded by remains of Puffins, Murres, and Ptarmigan. 



Packard says it is "common at Fort Chimo and east coast of Labra- 

 dor. Resident in northern portions, breeds at Fort Chimo." Weiz 

 says it breeds at Okkak. Harvie-Brown says a specimen was shot 

 at Ungava Bay by Thomas Mackenzie in 1890. Robert Bell says 

 that two were killed at Port Burwell in August and September. The 

 following specimens of islandus are in the Bangs collection: no. 9742, 

 Hopedale, 1898; no. 9743, Okkak, 1895; no. 9744, Okkak, October, 

 1896; no. 9741, Makkovik, late autumn, 1900. 



At Henley Harbor on August 2d, we saw a bird evidently of this 

 species circling about some high cliffs half a mile distant. It sailed up 

 to a deep cleft into which it disappeared, soon to re-appear and alight 

 on a shelf. Here it hopped and fluttered a few paces before again 

 taking flight. The bird was noticeably white, somewhat mottled 

 with darker color, especially on the wings whose primaries appeared 

 white at the ends. 



Falco rusticolus Linn. 



Gray Gyrfalcon. 



Rare winter visitor. 



The only record is that of Packard ('91, p. 423) : "Winter specimens 

 only obtained at Fort Chimo. Not known to breed in the Ungava 

 district." 



