250 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



Seen from 6th to 20th September, 1884, flying south at Prince 

 of Wales Sound, Hudson Strait. {Payne.) Taken at Fort 

 Churchill, west side of Hudson Bay. {Clarke.) York Factory, 

 Hudson Bay. {Dr. R. Bell.) One specimen taken at Disco, 

 Greenland, 1891. {Witmer Stone) 



Throughout all Alaska, from the Aleutian Islands north, both 

 along the coast and through the interior, extending from Behring 

 Strait across the northern portion of British America, the 

 present falcon is the commonest bird of prey. It frequents the 

 vicinity of cliffs and rocky points about the sea coast, or the 

 rocky ravines of the interioif during the breeding season, and the 

 remainder of the year, especially in the fall, it is found wandering 

 over the country everywhere that food can be obtained. {Nelson.) 

 Several specimens of this gyrfalcon were obtained in the vicinity of 

 St. Michael, where it is a constant resident, with probably excep- 

 tions during protracted periods of very severe weather. The 

 natives assert that this bird breeds on the high hills, either on a 

 rocky ledge or on the moss-covered ground. {Turner.) The 

 only hawk obtained at Point Barrow was of this variety. Hawks 

 were seen in 1882 and 1883, but were always very wild and diffi- 

 cult to approach. {Murdoch.) Observed numerous individuals 

 along the Kowak, Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, during 1899. {Grinnell.) 

 Two specimens taken at Point Barrow, Arctic Sea, Alaska, 

 September, 1897. {Witmer Stone.) A regular though scarce 

 fall and spring visitor at Chilliwack. {Brooks) 



Breeding Notes. — This gyrfalcon is common in the wooded 

 country on both sides of the Anderson River. Over 20 nests 

 were secured, and with only two exceptions which were built one 

 on a ledge of rocks and the other against the side of a deep ravine, 

 they were found close to or near the top of the tallest trees in the 

 neighbourhood. They are similar in composition, but smaller in 

 size than those of the bald eagle ; and while the number of eggs 

 was either thre^ or four, their contents were frequently found 

 in different stages of development. The earliest date for finding 

 a nest was May lOth. The eggs were quite fresh, though one 

 taken five days later contained partially formed embryos. In a 

 few cases young birds were in the same nest along with the eggs, 

 the contents of which were but little changed, and in another an 

 egg perfectly fresh was found with several ready to hatch. This 

 falcon is supposed to be a " winterer " in the northern parts of 



