466 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



home without inhabiting some other part of continental Europe. 

 These are the Iceland Falcon, the Northern Wren (which, how- 

 ever, does occur as a resident in the Faeroes), the Iceland Ptar- 

 migan, the Iceland Golden-eye, and the Harlequin Duck. The 

 first is by most ornithologists of the present day recognized as 

 distinct from the true Gyr-Falcon ; and though the differences 

 between them are but slight, I believe no one has ever observed 

 the characteristics of the Scandinavian form in an Icelandic spe- 

 cimen. The second has been but lately separated from our own 

 Common Wren, which is a bird as well known throughout the 

 greater part of the Continent as in this country; but I believe 

 the separation is deserved. The third, the Ptarmigan, certainly 

 differs in some respects very considerably from the bird which 

 occurs in Scotland and Norway, and much more nearly resembles 

 the form found in Greenland. The fourth and fifth are most un- 

 questionably distinct species ; and both are found breeding over a 

 good part of the Arctic portion of the New World, while neither 

 occurs in the rest of Europe, except accidentally. I am only 

 aware of one species which does not properly belong to Europe, 

 and which yet occurs frequently in Iceland without breeding 

 there ; this is the Greenland Falcon." 



Mr. Newton then gives a brilliant sketch of the more noticeable 

 features of the ornithology of Iceland, as they strike the eye of 

 the observant traveller, which we would also gladly transfer to 

 these pages did space permit. This is followed by a systematic 

 list of the birds which have been hitherto recognized with 

 certainty as occurring in the country, with notes on each species. 

 Mr. Newton enumerates 



Accipitres 6 ' 



Passeres 14 



Gallinse 1 



Grallse 21 



Anseres 47 



altogether 89 species as having 

 been observed in Iceland — 



a list which shows at a glance the richness of the Natatorial and 

 the poverty of the Passerine Orders in these northern climes. 

 Concerning the Garc-fowl {Alca impennis), without doubt the 

 most interesting member of the Icelandic avifauna, Mr. Newton 



