Across the Fields. 273 



There are two distinct kinds of Gyrfalcons that are found in Eastern 

 North America. One, a bird of the Arctic regions and which has occurred 

 casually in winter in the State of Maine, is known as the White Gyrfalcon. 

 The other, known as the Gray Gyrfalcon, is also an Arctic bird, and is found 

 in winter regularly south to the Northern United States. 



Besides there are recognized two races of this last bird, the first known 

 as the Gyrfalcon, whose range is from Northern Labrador and the coast of 

 Hudson's Bay to Alaska. This bird has been taken in Rhode Island. 



The second geographical race of the Gray Gyrfalcon is known to occur 

 on the coast of Labrador and is found in winter regularly in Canada and 

 Maine, and has been recorded from Long Island. 



To recapitulate, there are two distinct kinds of Gyrfalcons, and in ad- 

 dition two geographical races recognized as belonging to the bird fauna of 

 Eastern North America. 



These birds are all about the same size, the males being about twenty- 

 two inches long, and the females somewhat larger. 



They nest on the face of rocky cliffs or in trees and lay three or four 

 eggs which vary much in color, from white spotted with reddish brown to 

 pale reddish brown spotted with darker shades of a similar color. The eggs 

 are rather more than two inches and a quarter long, by about an inch and 

 three quarters broad. 



The color of the White Gyrfalcon is indicated by its name. The pre- 

 vailing tone is while. This is usually narrowly streaked with black on the 

 top of the head and neck. The remainder of the upper 

 White Gyrfalcon. parts are transversely spotted with brownish gray. The 



Falco islandus Brunn, ^ 11 ■! I't- 11 m 



lower parts and the tail are white, rrequently the tail 

 shows traces of dusky barring on its central feathers and there are often ob- 

 scure streaks of grayish brown on the white of the under parts. The feathers 

 below the tail are always immaculate white. 



The Gray Gyrfalcon has the feathers below the tail more or less marked 



with dusky. The upper are pale gray, the feathers barred or edged with 



white or buffy white. The tail is barred narrowly with sim- 



Gray Gyrfalcon. jj^r colors. The under parts are white streaked with 



dusky markings. The flanks and legs are generally barred 



or spotted with brownish slate. 



