Birds observed in Iceland. 245 



one of the many nests observed was placed in a hole, but 

 they were often in a hollow between two mounds of grass. 

 In such situations tlie outer part was always of grass, and 

 the bird carefully covered the eggs with this material on 

 leaving, sometimes forming a splendid imitation of an old 

 nest ! The only safe rule is to put your hand well to the 

 bottom of every nest, whether it looks fresh or old. 



Mergus merganser. Goosander. 



We found a nest of 15 eggs on an islet on June 2 1st, and 

 thought tliese were the produce of two females ; because two 

 nests of Harelda glacialis, a few feet off, also contained 

 eggs of this species, and it seems probable that, when 

 No. 2 duck found No. 1 in possession of the common nest, 

 she placed her egg in the charge of one of the Long-tailed 

 Ducks. We also took eggs on the loth and 26th. 



Mergus serrator. Red-breasted Merganser. 

 Nest of nine eggs taken June 15th. 



Phalaropus hyperboreus. Red-necked Phalarope. 



We obtained a good series of these eggs between June 14th 

 and 26th showing some interesting variations of colour. We 

 never saw P. fulicarius in any part of the south, and heard 

 that no eggs had been taken there for two or three years. 



Gallinago ccelestis. Common Snipe. 

 We observed young on June 15th and took fresh eggs on 

 July 15th. 



LiMosA ^gocephala. Black-tailed Godwit. 



We received four clutches of these eggs, and the birds 

 evidently breed rather plentifully in some parts. On July 

 2nd C. E. P. saw 20 birds in a marsh about a day's journey 

 from Reykjavik, and from their behaviour they probably 

 had young near. 



Larus marinus. Greater Black-backed Gull. 



H. J. P. took incubated eggs on July 3rd on an island in 

 the Pjorsa River. The farmer requested him to shoot all 

 the old birds he could, because they killed the young lambs, 

 being greater sinners in this respect than even the Ravens ; 



