Birds observed in Iceland. 243 



Anser cinereus. Grey Lag-Goose. 



Eggs were taken on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of July, but all were 

 incubated or addled, and a number of young were seen on 

 those dates. On the 3rd H. J. P. shot the old bird on a nest 

 containing four eggs much incubated. These birds were 

 plentiful on the islands in the Pjorsa River, and in many 

 places we were able to carefully examine them through our 

 glasses. We never saw any other species of Goose in 

 Iceland. 



Cygnus musicus. Whooper Swan. 



This was the only species of Swan we observed. Eggs 

 were taken on June 20th and 28th, but the w'cather among 

 the hills had been so bad this spring that several ])airs were 

 only commencing to prepare their nests about the latter date. 

 We afterwards saw a clutch of seven eggs, which had been 

 recently taken. Although these birds sometimes breed on 

 islands in the inhabited districts, it is little use to look for 

 their eggs before you pass the "last farm," as they are 

 generally taken either to eat or sell. Many of the farmers 

 collect the rarer eggs to sell to merchants at the trading 

 ports, so that Iceland is not quite the happy hunting-ground 

 it must have been at one time. 



Anas boscas. Wild Duck. 



Nests with fresh, or nearly fresh, eggs were found from 

 June 28th to July 12th. 



FULIGULA MARILA. Scaup. 



Although this bird is plentiful in some districts of the 

 south, it does not abound there in the manner described by the 

 Rev. H. H. Slater in his article on the northern parts of the 

 island. The greatest number of nests found in one day (July 

 7th) was 12. The eggs we took were nearly fresh, but most 

 of the nests were w^ell lined with down. In one or two 

 instances we saw the male assisting the female in the charge 

 of the young on the water. 



CosMONETTA HisTRioNiCA. Harlequin Duck. 



Little appears to be known about the nesting-habits of 



