64 BIEDS OF ICELAND 



concerning the present species to come from elsewhere 

 than Iceland, as two so nearly allied species might 

 possibly hybridise. 



Clangula islandica 



(Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. 2, p. 541, n. 116 (1788)). 

 /> ^ , , Barrow's Goldeneye. 



^Yi • . , . 



Native name : ' Hiisond ' (partim). 



A resident, common in the north, and not uncommon 

 anywhere, though it does not go to the high fells in 

 the interior to breed. It nests in the turf walls of 

 farm outbuildings, and thence gets its Icelandic name 

 of ' House-duck ' — also in holes in bank sides, and 

 under stones. The down in the nest is of a dirty- 

 white colour; by this and the large green-blue eggs, 

 the nests of the two Goldeneyes may at a glance be 

 distinguished from any other Icelandic duck — but not 

 from one another ! The nest consists of a little grass 

 and veo-etable odds and ends. The ecrcrs are lisjht-sfreen 

 blue, as already mentioned, and 2-| inches long (taken 

 by myself from a nest on which I captured and care- 

 fully examined the female, and am certain of the 

 species). Eggs in my collection of the Common 

 Goldeneye from Norway are of exactly the same 

 colour and size. 



The drake of Barrow's Goldeneye has the head and 

 neck black with a purplish gloss (not green), a 

 crescentic (not round) white spot on the cheek ; lower 

 neck, scapulars, alar speculum and underparts white ; 



