_Falco labradora_, AUD. B. Am. pl. cxcvi, 1831.
SP. CHAR. _Adult_ (♀ breeding plumage? 30,375, Rigolet, Labrador;
Mr. Conolly). Ground-color of the plumage uniform, very deep, clear,
dark plumbeous-brown, continuously uniform above; larger scapulars,
secondaries, secondary coverts, and primaries more dilute along edges,
however, the tint palest and broadest terminally. Tail perfectly
uniform, except at the end; the tip being narrowly whitish, and
about half an inch anterior to this, a transverse series of hidden
irregular transverse creamy-white spots. The head (except beneath)
is unvariegated. Beneath, the dark tint inclines more to blackish
clove-brown, more dilute on the tibiæ; feathers edged laterally with
white, this prevailing on the throat, but everywhere else far less than
the dusky in amount; on the tibiæ and lower tail-coverts the white is
in the form of irregular spots. Anal region unvariegated; lining of the
wing with circular spots of white along the outer webs of the feathers.
Under surface of primaries with plumbeous prevalent, but this crossed
with mottlings of whitish, forming transverse bars; but terminally and
basally they become confused or lost. Wing-formula, 2, 3–1, 4. Wing,
16.20; tail, 9.50; tarsus, 2.00–.90; middle toe, 2.05; inner, 1.50;
outer, 1.50; posterior, .90.
HAB. Labrador; south and westward in winter, and shores of Hudson Bay.
Nos. 17,063 (♀, Quebec, W. Cooper) and 34,960 (♀, Fort Nescopec,
Labrador) differ from the preceding in having ten small narrow
transverse spots of reddish-white on the tail-feathers, forming as many
indistinct bands; these spots touch neither the shaft nor the edge of
the feather, and are almost concealed, unless the tail is spread; on
the latter specimen they are very obsolete, the subterminal one only
being distinct, as in the specimen selected for description. The upper
tail-coverts also show faintly indicated spots, and the former specimen
has the wing-coverts with very narrow irregular spots on the edge of the
feathers. In this specimen there is also one feather in the scapulars
which has broader white edges; it also has the white below about equal
to the black in amount; the anal region, however, in all, is unvaried
blackish, and the transverse oblique bands on the lower tail-coverts are
a constant feature.
No. 41,185 (♀, Fort Nescopec, Labrador; H. Conolly) is the darkest of
all. In this the blackish plumbeous-brown is uniform over the whole
surface; even the throat is unvariegated. Abdomen with a few of the
feathers edged with white, and sides with a few small circular spots
of the same; lower tail-coverts transversely spotted with white; tibiæ
scarcely variegated, showing only narrow indistinct whitish edges.
Mottling on inner webs of primaries reduced so as to be scarcely
visible. Tail with the usual number (two) of irregular whitish bars,—one
terminal, the other near the end.