16 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Thingvalla the sportsman and naturalist would be sure to find 

 almost every variety of duck, as well as all the birds I have men- 

 tioned. The Ptarmigan is almost the only game bird in Iceland, 

 but is, I believe, nearly as common as grouse in Scotland. One 

 cannot help being struck by the entire absence of blackbirds, 

 thrushes, robins, and our other "feathered songsters." This, I 

 think, may be partly accounted for by there being no trees in 

 the island for them to nest in, and it will have been noticed that 

 all the birds already mentioned are of species which lay their eggs 

 on the ground or in rocky cliffs. 



The birds which I exhibit to-night have all been met with more 

 or less frequently in Scotland, though only one or two have been 

 found breeding with us. The Greenland Falcon (Falco groen- 

 landicus) is undoubtedly the finest of all the falcon tribe, and has 

 always been in great request for the s])ort of hawking, £20 being 

 the usual price for a young bird. They breed freely in the northern 

 parts of Iceland, but their nests are very difficult to get at, owing 

 to the precipitous and inaccessible nature of the rocks they select. 

 It seems to be generally considered that the lighter the colour the 

 older the bird, but possibly it may have something to do with the 

 season at which they are taken. A skin brought home by another 

 of our party was that of a smaller bird, considerably darker in colour. 

 The food of the Falcon is said principally to consist of ptarmigan, 

 curlews, hares, guillemots, puffins and other sea-fowl. My next 

 two birds are common with us, but still more so with the Ice- 

 landers. The Goosander fJIergus merganser ) is often found in 

 our district, and may be seen almost every year on the Cart, near 

 Glasgow. The Great Northern Diver (Colymbus glacicdis) is also 

 found in the West of Scotland, but is more common the farther 

 north you proceed. My next curiously-marked specimen, the 

 Harlequin Duck (Anas kistrionica ), is even a greater rarity than 

 the Falcon, not above half a dozen specimens having occurred in 

 Great Britain. They are said to be as common in Iceland as any 

 other varieties of duck. Their nests are similar to those of the 

 Eider Duck, being lined with their own down, although not of 

 such a fine quality as that of the latter species, nor in sufficient 

 quantities for exportation. My last bird is a specimen in mature 

 plumage of Richardson's Skua ( Lestris richardsoniij, one of the 

 well-known sea pirates, and the dread of the gulls. The only thing 

 to notice about it is the dusky black of its feathers, there being 



