BIKDS OF ICELAND 109 



Numenius hudsonicus, Latham. 

 American Whimbrel. 



Native name : None. 



One specimen of this bird, received by Dr. Kjcer- 

 bolling from Iceland {Naiimannia, vi. p. 308; see 

 also Newton, Baring Gould, p. .413) furnishes the 

 only existing record of this bird's appearance in 

 Iceland, and it has only once besides been recognised 

 elsewhere in Europe. It might rather have been 

 expected that N. horealisy the Eskimo Curlew, would 

 have been the species to stray to Iceland rather 

 than the present one; it has occurred half a dozen 

 times in Britain, and proportionately elsewhere in 

 western Europe. 



Numenius hudsonicus may be distinguished from 

 the Whimbrel by its rather smaller size (length 

 14 to 16 inches, the female larger); under surface of 

 the body tinged with buff, and, especially, rufous 

 axillaries (see last species). 



Sterna macrura, Naum. Arctic Tern. 



Native names : ' Kria,' ' berna,' the former sus^f^jesting 

 very accurately the bird's note, the second j)ro- 

 bably borrowed from the Danish ' Terna.' 



A summer visitor in considerable numbers, common 

 on the coast, and penetrating a good distance up the 

 rivers. It breeds in colonies, mostly on or near the 

 coast, but often on lakes a great distance from it 



