Falco Islandicus (?)
Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
1875 - March 22 -1875 - [March 22, 1875]
my bird, but though I watched them
sometime longer could not get anoth. [another]
shot The crows have I think begun
to arrive from the S. [south] as I have seen
numbers during the last few days.
Soon after this I fell in with a flock
of 13 Ampelis cedrorum and killed
10 of then in two shots: singularly
enough not one out of the whole
number was possessed of the waxen
appendages. Starting across the fields
from this point to intercept the
Watrn. horse car [Watertown horse car], my attention was
attracted by a large hawk which
[delete]was rising[/delete] rose over the oak woods to the
West of me and to my surprise as
soon as he came out into full view
he appeared entirely white but in
his subsequent circlings as he passed
high overhead, the dorsal surface
in as frequently exposed and looked
nearly black or spotted with black.
I decided him with some little hesitation to
be one of the gyr-falcons, var Islandicus
probably, though the whole under surface
appeared immaculate, as in var
candicans [Falco candicans]. The hypothesis of its
being an albino Buteo which at first
presented itself to my thoughts, is
improbable, as the general contour
of the bird was different - longer
wings and tail, and flight, [delete]with[/delete]
[delete]alternate[/delete] quick nervous strokes of
the wings alternated with short
intervals of sailing as with Ac. Cooperi [Accipiter cooperii]