NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 15 



out the other, the dog made a spring and broke it with his paw. 

 He then caught the bird, which, if not the very bird that you 

 have, was one exactly like it. The man had three of them skinned, 

 and he did not know for certain which of the three it was that he 

 got the egg from. So his mate, Robert Wolf, told me. The hole 

 was 3 or 4 feet long, soft at the end, wdth a small quantity of 

 leaves or fibres, or perhaps just the dry vegetable mould, which is 

 very deep round these birch trees." So much for the Rev. Mr. 

 Rutherford's letter. 



I am not prepared at present to state how many specimens of 

 the egg of Apteryx owenii exist in museums in this country or 

 elsewhere, but possibly before long I may gain further information 

 on this point. The specimen during transmission has suffered a 

 slight fracture of the bill, but is otherwise perfect. 



III. — On the Birds of Iceland. By Mr. George A. Burns. 



During the past summer I formed one of a party which went on 

 a yachting expedition to Iceland — a very novel and interesting 

 cruise; but as we were only there a short time we had not the 

 opportunity of doing much in the way of Natural History. Still 

 we were able amongst us to make some observations upon the 

 birds we met with; and from what we saw, and from what I 

 have read, I am convinced that many birds which do not breed in 

 this country, except in one or two islands of the Hebridean and 

 Shetland groups, and others which are only rarely met with as 

 occasional visitants, will be found breeding regularly, and perhaps 

 numerously, in Iceland. In the list of birds noticed by us 

 are several which are considered as prizes if met with in this 

 country, and yet they all seemed common enough in Iceland. This 

 list included the Wild Swan, the Arctic Skua, the Long-tailed 

 Duck, the Pintail Duck, the Whimbrel, the Raven, the Redshank, 

 the Snipe, the Golden Plover, the Meadow Pipit, the Red-necked 

 Phalarope, the Snow Bunting, the White Wagtail, and the Stone- 

 chat. Of these the Whimbrel was one of the commonest — so much 

 so that we were wearied by its constant cry from every cairn and 

 heap of stones. The coasts (especially those in the north) swarm 

 with sea-fowl of every description, and most of the islands seemed 

 to be thronged with the Eider Duck, which is not allowed to 

 be shot under penalty of a heavy fine, About the Lake of 



