BIRDS OF ICELAND 51 



Tadorna casarca (Linn.). 

 EuDDY Sheld-Duck. 



Native name : none. 

 An inhabitant of South Asia, North Africa, and 

 South-east Europe, which strays unaccountably in 

 many directions. Several have been shot in the North 

 of Scotland, several in Sweden, and elsewhere in the 

 north-west. In August 1892, a flock appeared in the 

 south-west of Iceland, and three were shot at Eyrar- 

 bakka by Herra P. Nielsen, and two more in tlie 

 EyjafjorSr (north) a little later. 



Anas boscas, Linn. Common Wild Duck. 



Native names : ' Stokkond ' (Grondal explains ' stokkr ' 



to mean a rivulet or drain ; but surely it is the 



Scandmavian ' stok-and ' = ' tree-stump duck ' ?) ; 



'GroenhofSi' {$ only, = ' greenhead '), 'Gra-ond' 



(?, partim), ' Hiisond ' (parti m) ; to which Grondal 



adds ' Bkikollsond ' (blue-headed duck) and 



' Kilond ' (also = drain-duck). 



Kesident, though, no doubt, partially migratory, 



and pretty abundant, as its wealth of names would 



indicate. Breeds in marshes amongst long grass and 



sedge, occasionally on dry hill-sides (even birch woods) 



at a considerable distance from water. The eggs are, 



as is well known, greenish drab, and about 2J inches 



long. 



