THE GREENLAND FALCON. 1 H 
the right feather of the middle pair iii the tail has tlie l)ars 
continuous, while on the left feather of the same pair all tlie 
bars are alternate, with the exception of the two bars nearest 
the tip. It has been considered remarkable and somewliat 
suspicious that in both birds the markings on one side do 
not always correspond with those on the other, but the same 
is the case with the snowy owl, and would be far more fre- 
quently found to occur with many other species were it not the 
almost invariable custom of describers to examine one side 
only of the bird. 
The Greenland Falcon should perliaps be considered 
impetuous rather than bold. It may often be seen dashing 
past dovecots and roofs of houses in the vain attempt to cause 
the pigeons to take wing. I have observed it equally un- 
successful in its endeavours to drive them from the top of a 
corn-stack far distant from home. They merely crouch the 
closer, waiting for an opportunity of making their escape. 
Upon one of these occasions the Falcon, giving up the attempt, 
had flown seawards, disappearing from my sight immediately 
afterwards. Then the terrified pigeons, rising one or two at a 
time from their crouching position, began to look about them, 
and, gradually recovering from their alarm, made off in a body 
for the dovecot, about five hundred yards distant. Scarcely 
had they got fairly under way, when, to my astonishment, 
one of their number fell headlong to the earth, some distance 
in front of me, with such force as fairly to ricochet along the 
surface, the feathers flying in all directions. On running up, 
I found it quite dead, with a deep gash the whole length of the 
back. On looking for the Falcon it was discovered hurrying 
away towards Balta, and I never saw it again, although the 
pigeon was left on the spot wliere it fell, and a careful watcli 
was kept during the remainder of the day. I am told that 
it seldom or never strikes resting birds, although it will occa- 
sionally lift ” them as well as rabbits. 
Not unfrequently, a pigeon when closely pressed will take 
refuge within an open door (open windmos are rarely seen in 
