ZOOLOGY. 435 
plumbeous black, except on the throat. The lower parts are, every- 
where, including the under surface of the wings, marked with 
road transverse bars of plumbeous-black, the two colors about 
equal in amount; the jugulum, and even the throat, with conspic- 
uous, heavy, drop-shaped longitudinal markings of blackish. 
This is the first capture of the Scandinavian, or true, gyrfalcon 
in North America, and the fact that it breeds in the Aleutians 
warrants its introduction into the nearctic fauna. 
Numenius femoralis Peale must also be added to the number 
of North American birds, a fine specimen having been obtained 
May 18, 1869, by Mr. Ferdinand Bischoff, naturalist to the over- 
land telegraph expedition, under the direction of Col. C. S. Bulkley. 
It is now in the National Museum (No. 58,471 2). 
This specimen has been compared with Sandwich Island exam- 
ples, and found to be identical. The species is very different from 
any other North American one. — Rogert RIDGWAY. 
On SOME OF THE EVIDENCES or Lire IN Great SALT LAKE. — 
Dr. A. S. Packard, Jr., in his interesting remarks on “ Insects in- 
habiting Great Salt Lake and other Saline or Alkaline Lakes in 
the West,” as given in Dr. Hayden’s last Report, very properly 
expresses the hope that some one will make a careful examination 
of the shores of the lake, and carefully preserve all traces of life 
which he may find there. 
As I examined a portion of the eastern shore of the Great Salt 
Lake, last year, it may be of advantage to naturalists if I mention 
some of the evidences of life which I found there. Of course I 
found the flies, such as are seen by all who visit the lake in sum- 
mer; the shore was almost literally black with them. They rose 
before us, but immediately settled down again upon the sands, 
Close to the lake, when we had passed. Their larve, in the great- 
est abundance, were attached to the bottom, and to submerged 
Sticks, close to the shore; and their pupa skins lay in piles on the 
Shore. The little shrimp-like crustaceans (Artemia fertilis) were 
also seen in great profusion, and these were the most numerous, 
apparently, where the water was the saltest, as in portions partly 
shut off from the lake. 
I collected a large number of shells on the shore of the lake, 
_ but did not interpret them as representing life in the lake; they 
are all, I believe, fresh-water forms. Besides these, I found two 
