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NOTES ON/riiE BIRD-LIFE OF SOUTH-WEST 

 ICELAND. 



BY THE 



REV. F. C. R. JOURDAIN. 

 [Plate 6.] 



The following notes must be taken as referring only to 

 the birds of the Giillbringu, Kjosar, and 'Arnes Syslur, 

 as observed on a visit to this part of Iceland in June, 

 1912, in compam^ Avith Mr. J. Wilkinson. Although 

 naturally it was not to l)e expected that any sensational 

 discoveries would be made within a hundred kilometres 

 of Reykjavik, the bird-life proved full of interest and 

 would Mell have repaid a longer visit. In one respect 

 our experience was quite at variance with that of the 

 Rev. H. H. Slater, who states in his Manual of the Birds 

 of Iceland (p. 34), that " many species seem to reduce 

 the number of eggs the farther north they range." He 

 proceeds to give instances of small (and apparently incom- 

 plete) clutches of various species, which we found with 

 decided^ larger clutches than are usually met with at 

 home. In the case of some groups, such as the Limicolae, 

 there is of course no difference, and the same is true also 

 of Alcida?, and possibly some other families, but ^^•here 

 there is any range of variation, as in the Passeres, the 

 tendency in most cases seems to be decidedly in favour 

 of larger families in the high north than in more southern 

 regions. 



A pleasing characteristic of the country is the extreme 

 tameness of most species of birds. On a wet day we 

 have ridden within a yard or so of a telegraph post on 

 which a Raven was perched, without disturbing it ; the 

 Redshanks while anxiously convoying their recently 

 hatched young, would run along just out of reach of our 

 ponies'" feet : Phalaropes are proverbially confiding, but 

 it is surprising at first to see Golden Plover on the little 

 crofts in front of the farms Mithin a few feet of the front 

 door, and Whimbrel feeding unconcernedly within half 

 a dozen yards. For the bird-photographer Iceland 



