BIRDS OF ICELAND 77 



has a dusky-spotted bar across the chest, and near the 

 shoulder a patch of very conspicuous white feathers 

 with black borders. It is much smaller, however, 

 being only 22 inches long, with a wing of 10 inches. 

 The female is also a small copy of the female Goosander, 

 but is more rusty red, and less grey, on the upper 

 parts. Length 21 inches, wing 9 J inches. 



The food consists of fish, and fish only — young trout 

 and salmon for choice ; and though its numbers ought 

 to be kept in check for that reason (and it is, like 

 the Goosander, exempted from legal protection), it is 

 absolutely worthless for table purposes. 



Lagopus rupestris (Gmelin). 

 Rock Ptarmigan. 



Native names : ' Rjiipa,' ' Rjiip-karri ' {$), old form 

 ' Rjiipkeri.' 



Resident, frequentiug hillsides at all altitudes like 

 our Red Grouse, but, unlike it, found usually in birch 

 woods and in the wildest and raggedest lava-tracts. 

 To these latter they are very partial, retiring to them 

 after feeding, and the old cocks sit on boulders and 

 lava pinnacles (to keep a look-out, perhaps), as Black- 

 cocks do on stone walls at home. Hence, I suppose, 

 the name rupestris. In severe weather, hunger drives 

 them down to the coast. 



The nest is loosely made, of a few twigs and stalks 

 of grass with odd feathers of the bird's own, and is 

 often partially concealed under a willow bush, or 



