gal co r . gyrfalco . 
Concord, Mass. 
1896. 
Nov. 21 . 
I 
I 
Despite the depressing and very disagreeable weather I 
saw some interesting birds and one that was actually new to me. 
I tool; it to be a Gray GyrfalconC Falco ^ Kvrfalco ). It was of 
A 
about the size and general coloring of an immature female Gos- 
hawk but it had the long, sharp-pointed Falcon wings and it 
flapped them as a Duckhawk does with a continuous, rapid, vi- 
brating movement. My experience with this bird was as fol- 
lows:- I was paddling past the Buttfick's on my way down 
river at about 8.30 A.M. when I noticed three tame Pigeons 
flying high in, air towards Derby's barn coming from the direc- 
tion of the town. Just as they were passing over the But- 
tricks' house the Falcon appeared about 100 yards off and 
coming directly towards them. They turned back at once at the 
same time separating. The a chose a white bird (the other two 
were blue ) and pursued it hotly. The Pigeon made scarce 100 
yards before it was overtaken but it had been rising the while 
and when its pursuer came up he was a yard or more under it. 
Wheeling with easy grace and bounding upward twenty feet or 
more with a single effort of his powerful wings he got well 
above his prey and shot towards it down a stee£j incline. "Pooh 
bird, your fate is sealed"! I said to myself as, with the 
field glass pressed to my eyes, I gazed breathlessly watching 
the Falcon's belly with the full expectation of seeing him 
