ENTOMOLOGY OF ICELAND. 249 



probable supposition), or from the ammonia in the flesh of the 

 whale being too strong, even for what are ordinarily regarded as 

 scavenger-flies. 



Fog-horn sounding early on the morning of August 2nd, and 

 a smart shower of rain, at Skagestrand (lat. 65° 50', N., long. 

 20° 18', W.), at which place the hills recede from the coast, are 

 smaller in dimensions, and consisting of far more gradual and 

 easy means of ascent, being for the most part grassy slopes, as 

 far as I can judge from the steamer. The clouds are still resting 

 on their summit. Skagestrand apparently only consists of a 

 dozen or so farms or cottages, scattered here and there over a 

 level green plain adjacent to the sea, and in front of the hills. 

 As it was a damp and foggy morning, and our stay here only a 

 short one, I did not land. About 9 a.m. we ai'e again on our 

 way towards Saudakrog (Saudakrok in Icelandic) (lat. 05° 45', N., 

 long. 19° 38', W.), but continue to proceed very slowly in conse- 

 quence of the fog. Drangey, so famous as the place of residence of 

 the hero Grettir and his brother, and their death at the hands of 

 their foes, is a rocky mound of an island, with precipitous clifi's 

 on every side, seemingly impregnable, had not the ladder, according 

 to the Saga, been left in position against the rocks, whereby his 

 enemies scaled the place. It is now uninhabited, but is productive 

 as regards the number of sea-birds in it, and the fish around. A 

 little further away the large island of Malmey is passed, where 

 Malmey, an outlawed bishop, who had been driven by his enemies 

 from the land, resided; and his retainers, in retaliation, killed 

 them at Holar, his old episcopal seat of residence, about a.d. 1300, 

 being as fierce as his enemies themselves in those wild times. 

 The cliffs of Drangey are whitened all over in many places with 

 the guano of sea-birds, and in close proximity to theui stands a 

 pointed, insulated rock, known as the " Old Man " ; it is said 

 there was another in its vicinity, termed the " Old Woman," 

 which has long since fallen into the sea. Saudakrok presents a 

 very neat appearance, and extends along the sea-beach, with 

 gradually sloping clifts, or, more strictly speaking, steep banks, 

 with their surface everywhei'e strewn with shale and loose stones. 

 On landing, I strolled up the bed of a dry watercourse, where I 

 collected some of the stones, being struck with the variety of 

 their colour and markings. Arrived at the moor above, I found 

 it covered with stones, grassy hillocks, and an abundance of the 

 plants of Dryas octopetala, by this time all gone to seed ; captured 

 one Noctua on Thymus serpyllum, and obtained some Coleoptera 

 under stones ; also some Calliphora, then in a semi-torpid state, 

 that had crept there for shelter from the damp weather. Three 



Geometridse also seen. 



(To be continued.) 



