238 Messrs. H. J. and C. E. Pearson on 



hours^ during wliich there were only three places where our 

 ponies could obtain grass, all the rest being black sand and 

 lava. It is difficult to convey any idea of the utter desolation 

 of this district ; from hills of several hundred feet elevation 

 there often was no green thing to be seen in any direction. 

 Varieties of blackness occurred ; sometimes black sand only, 

 at others the ground for a mile or more looked like a mac- 

 adamized road rather loosely laid, tlie stones all one size, 

 about 1^ inch, in diameter. If these fragments of lava had 

 been first passed through a riddle, they could not have been 

 more accurately assorted. The wind had, no doubt, win- 

 nowed away the sand until the pieces of lava amongst it, 

 which were too large to be moved, practically covered the 

 whole surface ; but we cannot explain why the fragments 

 should only vary in size so slightly over an area of several 

 square miles. Then, again, we had long stretches of sharp 

 rough lava, which only the feet of an Iceland pony could pass 

 over without being hopelessly lamed. After riding through 

 such a country we looked upon Audavatn as an oasis in the 

 desert ; its shores were fairly green, and our ponies, now 

 increased to 30, were able to find grass enough for six days. 

 This lake had more bird-life about it than all the others of 

 the group combined. A pair of White-tailed Eagles had 

 their eyrie on a rock rising out of the lake ; it was placed 

 about 30 feet above the water, and contained two young in 

 down, one being nearly twice as large as the other. During 

 our visit the smaller one disappeared : how, we never learned, 

 for our men had strict orders not to touch them, and we believe 

 no reward is paid for killing these birds in Iceland. The 

 men^s explanation was that this Eagle never rears more than 

 one young, and had killed the smaller one, a statement that 

 seems very improbable. A pair of Whooper Swans were 

 generally to be seen on our lake, but the old nest on a small 

 island showed no sign of their having commenced nidification. 

 There were many pairs of Long-tailed Duck, also several 

 of Wild Duck and also Goosander. Nine males of Barrow's 

 Golden-eye and one female were always there, but this was 

 the only lake where we saw this species. A pair of Great 



