Ramble in Eastern Iceland ^c. 375 



Iceland Gulls in mature and immature plumage which the 

 approach of winter had brought into the fjords. They often 

 came close to the ship, whereby we had ample opportunity 

 afforded us for observing them minutely. Just after day- 

 break on the 29th we steamed down the fjord, watching 

 numerous Eiders, Cormorants, and Gannets, and left behind 

 us a country peopled by a highly civilized and educated race, 

 a people from whom we had received the greatest consi- 

 deration and hospitality. To Pastor Sigurdar Gunnarsson 

 and his most excellent wife, under whose roof some of the 

 happiest days of our lives were spent, we shall ever be 

 indebted for the greatest kindness and for their unceasing 

 solicitude to make our trip a success. We reached Leith 

 on the 3rd of October, after a very stormy voyage, during 

 which the barometer fell to 27'8 inches. 



We will now proceed to offer a few remarks upon the 

 results of the trip and a description of the autumn plumage 

 of Lagopus rupestris. 



Our experience may throw some light on the date of de- 

 parture of the summer visitors to Iceland. The chief of 

 these belong to the order Limicolse, and at the date of our 

 arrival on the 10th of September all had departed save a few 

 Golden Plover, the last of which were observed on the 25th. 

 We noted, however, the Ringed Plover, Oyster-catcher, 

 Common Snipe, Whimbrel, and Dunlin on the Faroes, 

 between the 4th and 7th, and in all probability these species 

 at least had not left Iceland many days before our arrival. 

 The Red-necked Phalarope, an extremely common species in 

 the district visited by us, had also departed; andtheWhoopers, 

 as already stated, left between the 16th and 23rd of Septem- 

 ber. As against this great blank, amongst the Waders, we 

 noted the presence of all the few migrants to Iceland among 

 the Passeres, viz. the Redwing, Wheatear, White Wagtail, 

 Meadow-Pipit, and the rarer Redpoll. Most of these were 

 somewhat frequently observed, even to a late date, while the 

 Meadow-Pipit was still common at Valthjofsta^r on the day 

 of our departure, the 26th. These observations, bearing on 

 the date on which the summer migrants leave Iceland, were 



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