138 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



The nest is a loose structure of weeds, etc. {myrio- 

 phylhim being a favourite material), floating amongst 

 sedges and scirpus, to which it is attached, at the 

 margin of a lake or tarn. The eggs, two to four in 

 number, are bluish white when fresh, but soon get 

 permanently stained by dirty feet and by the wet 

 decayed weed with which they are frequently covered 

 up. A storm of wind often destroys numbers of them, 

 by upsetting them from the nest ; one day we gathered 

 a great quantity from the bottom of a lake, where they 

 had been deposited by the action of the waves, and 

 many subsequently split by the action of the water. 

 The eggs vary in length from li inches to If inches. 



The bird is dark brown above, silvery grey below ; 

 neck, breast, and sides chestnut ; a tuft of elongated 

 chestnut feathers on the sides of the head forming a 

 sort of crest (this, and the chestnut colour generally, is 

 mostly lost in winter dress). Bill stoutish and straight. 

 Length 13 J inches, wing 5 J inches ; young birds a good 

 deal smaller. The secondary quills of the wing are 

 chiefly white in this bird, except the three outer ones 

 next the primaries, which, like the latter, are dusky. 



Food, small fish, and any small aquatic creatures. I 

 have found water-snails amongst the swallowed food in 

 Iceland. 



