196 
Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
Characters. — The Iceland Gyr-Fakon is one of four or more 
races of the genus Hkrofalco, which are distinguished from the 
Greenland Gyr-Falcon by having a blue bill and barred fla 7 iks. 
Four distinct races of Grey Gyr-Falcon can, 1 think, be 
certainly recognised. One of them is the Black Gyr-Falcon, 
Hierofalco obsoletus of American authors,* from Labrador. 
The second is the Iceland Gyr-Falcon, peculiar to Iceland, re- 
presented in Southern Greenland by Holboell’s Gyr-Falcon {Jd. 
holboelli), while the fourth is the well-known Norwegian Gyr- 
Falcon {H. gyr/alco), which I believe to extend from Scandi- 
navia to Eastern Siberia, and to North America also. Whether 
the various other races, H. uraletisis, H. grebnitskii, and others, 
are distinct from the ordinary II. gyrfako, I have never had 
enough material before me to enable me to pronounce an 
opinion. 
Eange in Great Britain — Like the Greenland Gyr-Falcon, the 
present species is only an accidental visitor in winter, and 
is decidedly less frequent than the last-named bird. It has 
occurred in Scotland and the north of England, as well as in 
Ireland. 
Range outside the British Islands. — My opinion is that this Gyr- 
Falcon is peculiar to Iceland, and is only found elsewhere on 
accidental migration. In Southern Greenland it is replaced 
by H. holboelli. 
Hahits — Very little has been recorded of the Iceland Gyr 
Falcon in its native home, and several recent observers who 
have visited Iceland have not seen the bird at all during their 
expeditions. The habits are doubtless the same as those of 
the other species of the genus. It feeds on Plovers and sea- 
fowl, according to a note supplied to Mr. Hewitson by Mr. 
Proctor, who visited Iceland and found remains of Whim- 
brel. Golden Plover, Guillemots, and Ducks, about the nest 
Ptarmigan also are largely captured. Faber says that after 
the nesting-season, both adult and young birds approach the 
homesteads, when they sit on elevations, and often fight with 
the Ravens (cf. Newton, l.c). Lord Lilford writes From 
* In 1874 I believed this name of Gmelin’s to refer to a Buzzard, and 
not a Gyr-Falcon. The general opinion, however, now seems to be that 
it was intended for the latter. 
