BIRDS OF ICELAND 41 



danger nowadays), but all Icelandic birds that breed 

 on the ground choose an island if they can find one 

 and this habit seems to be a survival from the ancient 

 days, when Arctic foxes were abundant, as they are not 

 now. The nest is made of a few sticks and twigs and 

 dead grass, or other vegetable matter, and when the four 

 or five eggs are laid, the female packs them in a lining 

 of her own grey down. The eggs are large, SJ inches 

 by nearly 2 -J inches, and are creamy white in colour. 



As they are early breeders, and nest in places where 

 the vegetation is nearly always scanty and backward, 

 the old birds sometimes have to travel some distance, 

 during the first part of their stay, to more suitable 

 feeding-grounds. We came across such a feeding- 

 place, evidently frequented by a considerable number 

 of geese, early in June 1900. 



The upper parts of the Grey Lag-Goose, including 

 head and neck, are of a dull grey brown, becoming 

 almost white on the abdomen. There are sometimes a 

 few small black blotches on the latter, and, in very old 

 birds, a few white feathers round the base of the bill 

 (Care must be taken that these two features do not 

 cause confusion with the White-fronted Goose.) The 

 rump and 'shoulder' of the wing are of a blue-grey, 

 and these are two of the strongest distinctive marks of 

 this species. The feet and bill are of a light flesh- 

 pink, and the latter is terminated by a white ' nail' on 

 the upper mandible. Length of gander 33 to 3G inches, 

 wing 17 inches. Females are about 30 inches, wing 

 16 inches. 



