24 



THE OOLOGIST. 



flies out and enters the water a few 

 yards off. It is Barrows' Goldeeye 

 (Clangula islandica). So far only two 

 or three specimens of the (lolden-eye 

 Clangula (ilaitria have turned up in 

 Iceland, and we were not lucky enough 

 to come across it. The nest was nbout 

 three feet in, composed of a little dry 

 grass, and plentifully lined with dirty 

 whitish down, and contained nine blue 

 green eggs rather stained from the 

 birds feet. Later we tind several others, 

 one in a hole in a turf shed used for 

 foddering cattle, in this same shed was 

 the nest of a White Wag-tail (MotaciUa 

 alba) between two turfs, made of grass 

 lined with pony hairs, in it are five 

 whitish eggs thickly spotted with gray, 

 as for Scaup [Fuligula marila) nests, 

 their name is legion, lined with brown- 

 ish down and containing Ave to ten 

 drab eggs and placed in holes in lava, 

 under overhanging banks, but common- 

 ly about a foot from the waters edge, in 

 tufts of grass, or rushes, quite concealed 

 and if there is any wind, many are 

 washed away. 



Several nests of the Wigoon (Mareea 

 penelope) turn up in grass covered 

 cracKS in the ground, lined with fine 

 dry grass and white centered down, 

 containing eight or nine roundish cream 

 colored eggs. In the same situation we 

 flush one or two Long tails {Earelda 

 glacialis) and several of the lovely 

 ducks are swimming here and there, 

 uttering their mournful cry. The nests 

 are lined with soft brownish down in 

 which are 8 or 9 greenish drab eggs, 

 one contains a small yolkless example. 

 Crossing a small grassy flat.a Redshank 

 Totanus caledris flies off at our feet 

 from her nest, well concealed in a thick 

 tuft of grass, hollowed and lined with 

 finer grass, the three eggs are buff 

 colored, blotched with bluish gray and 

 red brown, one is almost hatching the 

 others addled. Two or three Red- 

 breasted Mergansers (Mergas serrator) 

 are disturbed from holes in rocks and 

 banks, they strike at your hand very 



hard with their sharp notched bills, so 

 it is as well to iusert it covered with 

 your cap. We capture one as she flies 

 out, the nest is composed of fine grass, 

 lined with dirty gray down and the 

 eggs seven to nine of a greenish drab. 



In most of the mudy pools is a nest of 

 the Sclavonic Grebe (Pediceps auritus) 

 simply a loose pile of weeds and mud, 

 level with the water and lloating among 

 the reeds. The eggs are four or five 

 greenish white when fresh, but are 

 soon stained mud color, and some I 

 have taken in iron water are a rich 

 yellowish red, the bird looks very 

 handsome with its chestnut breast and 

 crest floating on the calm water. Sev- 

 eral Common Scoters [Oedeniia nigra) 

 their dark plumage being unmistakable 

 are disturbed among the low willow 

 bushes, the nests of a little moss lined 

 with dusky down, are found under the 

 bushes and contain six or seven creamy 

 eggs. Here two Pintails (Anas Aaciita 

 are also flushed among the bushes, the 

 nests well lined with dried leaves and 

 faint white tipped down with seven and 

 eight greenish buft' eggs. 



Now we leave this island, the search 

 of which has occupied over three hours, 

 but has proved well worth the trouble, 

 to visit some of the small islands 

 further out. I notice a pair of Gadwall's 

 (Amis strepera) swimming about, the 

 marbled plumage of the drake attract- 

 ing my attention, they are very scarce in 

 Iceland, but we find no nest, in spite of 

 continued search. 



Nearing a little willow covered isle, 

 a goose flaps off and alights on the 

 water at a considerable distance. Al- 

 most certainly the Gray Leg (^tnser 

 finercn) the commonest of the genus 

 here, the nest of grass and a few twigs 

 is among the willow, there are four 

 large rough white eggs but only a scrap 

 or two of down, coming back, several 

 Loons ( Colymbus glarialis) are seen on 

 the water, their black and white plum- 

 age showing up in the sunlight, one 

 flies over carrying a large fish m its 

 powerful bill. On a small rocky islet 

 we are lucky enough to take a pair of 

 the deep brown, black spotted eggs, 

 the nest a slight mosy hollow, and 

 further in I find a single egg. beauti- 

 fully streaked with black. We reach 

 Skutustadir again tired out after our 

 long day, but I may give an account of, 

 after days ere long. 



J. G. GOBDON, 



Corsemalize, Whauphill, 

 Wigtownshire, Scotland, 



