238 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vi. 



{(Enanlhe ce. hucorrlioa (Gm.)), but breeding birds col- 

 lected by Hantzsch had wings varying in length from 95.5 

 to 98 mm., though in other respects typical leucorrhoa. 

 8o far from laying five eggs more commonly than six, 

 and sometimes four only {Manual, p. 4), three nests which 

 I saw contained nine, seven and eight eggs respectivel}'^, 

 and Mr. G. H. Lings also obtained a clutch of nine eggs. 

 We saw nothing of the rare Iceland Wren (Troglodytes 

 t. islandicus Hart.), but the Museum at Reykjavik con- 

 tained two recently-obtained specimens, one dated 

 "Reykjavik, XII. 02," and the other 24.11.12., and 

 quite a number are said to have been shot lately by 

 a native collector. A fine Iceland Falcon [Falco rusti- 

 colus islandns Briinn.), shoAving a good deal of white in 

 its plumage, was soaring round the tops of a mountain- 

 range in Grimsnes, but there is no breeding-place near 

 at hand. The Merlin {Falco r. regulus Pall.) is thinly 

 distributed, and we obtained a couple of nests in which 

 incubation was already somewhat adv'anced at the 

 beginning of June."^ 



As a breeding species the AVhooper {Cygnus cygnns (L.)) 

 was new to us both, and we were glad to find that it 

 is still by no means uncommon. On some large, flat 

 grassy islands in the middle of a river we found two or 

 three pairs nesting, together with a large colony of Great 

 Black-backed Gulls. Many remains of old swans' nests 

 could be distinguished in the rank grass. Subsequently 

 we met with two other pairs breeding on islands, one 

 of which had practically fresh eggs on June 8th, wliile 

 the other had hatched off her brood by June 9th. A 

 fifth pair, which had probably already been robbed, 

 was apparently settling down to nest in a marsh about 

 the same time. In addition to the rather goose-like 



* Only one pair of Sea-Eagles {Haliaetus albiclUa) was met with, 

 which had an ej'rie in a range of crags at the foot of a big lake. Un- 

 fortimately they received the attentions of an enthusiastic " bird 

 watcher," with the result, as we are informed by letter from Iceland, 

 that the unfortunate bird deserted her nest and higb.lyincubated 

 eggs, so that no young were reared this year. 



