BIRDS OF ICELAND 63 



and when I was at Reykjavik in 1900 told me that he 

 had not met with the bird. I pointed ont that there 

 was an adult male stuffed in the museum never- 

 theless. 



It is probably, therefore, a rare species in Iceland, 

 and may be a summer visitor only, though staying till 

 late. It will, doubtless, be found to occur in almost 

 all parts of the country sporadically. Oologists must 

 not, therefore, take for granted any longer that golden- 

 eyes' eggs from Iceland are certain to be those of 

 G. islandica. 



The two species are very much alike, and I refer the 

 reader to the more detailed description of Barrow's 

 Goldeneye, merely mentioning here the differences 

 between them. C. glaucion is a size smaller; the 

 drake's head is glossed with green, not purple ; and it 

 has a nearly circular, not half-moon-shaped, white 

 patch on the cheek. The females resemble one 

 another very closely, but there is the same difference 

 in size ; the crown of G. glaucion $ is flatter, and less 

 arched, than of G. islandica, and the latter has the 

 greater wiug-coverts tipped with black, though whether 

 this difference always holds good I am unable to say. 

 For exact measurements, see under G. islandica. Pro- 

 bably one of the best criteria would be the respective 

 weights; I regret that I have omitted to collect in- 

 formation on this point. I shall, however, be much 

 indebted to any readers who will be kind enough to 

 note down the exact weights of adults of both species, 

 and furnish me with them. I should prefer the details 



