140 Miscellaneous. 



soon as he perceived that I had gone on, the little animal hastened 

 after me directly. Even upon long excursions to the old forests of 

 the Carpathian mountains, at a distance of three and four (German) 

 miles, the Marten was my faithful companion ; he swam through 

 rivers and brooks with perfect ease like an otter : but the most re- 

 markable thing besides was, that he never went very far from me ; 

 only once do I remember having lost him for some hours. This 

 happened in the following manner. 



On the 30th of August the gentle Marten followed me, as he al- 

 ways did on an excursion, into the part of the Carpathians which is 

 called the Potoninen. I was busied in collecting the beautiful Ca- 

 rabus Sacheri in an enchanting spot, and quite forgot my Marten, 

 who had found a nest with young blackbirds {Merula montana, 

 Brehm.) just by, and was quietly devouring them. After a fortu- 

 nate booty of Coleoptera I then w^ished to climb a lofty hill called 

 Paraska, but I missed the Marten and continued my way without 

 him. How great was my joy, upon my return, after eight long hours, 

 to find the sensible animal again in the very meadow where I had 

 lost him ! 



If I was absent from home this Marten would take no food the 

 whole day long ; and when I returned showed his joy by merry 

 leaps and caresses. 



He ate everything that came to table, bread, fruit, cheese, milk, 

 but he was fondest of raw flesh ; he drank wine with great relish, 

 and plentifully. This even hastened his death, for once he drank so 

 much, that on the following day he was found dead on the house 

 floor. — Wiegmann*s Archivfur 1839, 3tes Heft. 



CLANGULA BARROVIT, A NATIVE OF ICELAND, 



On my last visit to Iceland, in the summer of 1837, 1 arrived there 

 by way of Copenhagen on the 22nd of June, and landed at a place 

 called Ociford, situate on the north side of the island. I immediately 

 commenced making excursions into the interior for the purpose of 

 procuring specimens and observing the habits of those birds which 

 we are little acquainted with in Britain. I met with eleven species 

 of ducks breeding there, and was fortunate in procuring the eggs of 

 each, viz. Anas moUissima, A. glacialis, A. Marila, A. StreperUy A, 

 Bosckas, A. acuta, A. Crecca, A. Penelope, A. nigra, A. hlstrionica. 

 The whole of the above visit Britain in the winter season, some re- 

 maining to breed, while others retire to higher latitudes ; others again 

 we are only acquainted with as i are and uncertain visitants to our 

 shores. 



