BIRDS OF ICELAND 33 



have always been considered difficult birds to train, 

 though faster than Peregrines ; and nowadays the 

 latter have displaced the Gyrfalcons in the affections 

 of the few who still follow, under difficulties, this 

 ancient but excessively fascinating sport. In old 

 days, however, the Gyrfalcons were the favourites 

 amongst falconers ; and the kings of Denmark and 

 Norway, owing to the indifference of the Icelanders, 

 used to send their own royal falconers to Iceland 

 to take the young falcons, and the remains of the 

 huts which they used for this purpose are even now 

 to be seen on certain low hills with a good look- 

 out: one near Eeykjavik {teste Grondal) still bears 

 the name of Valhiis (' Falcon-house '). 



It certainly seems more appropriate to select this 

 noble and historical bird as the national sign, or 

 crest, of Iceland, than the other candidate for this 

 honour — the ignoble, if commercially valuable, codfish ! 



^' Falco sesalon, Tunstall. Merlin. 



Native name: ' Smirill ' (' Smyrill ' in the Edda\ The 

 form ' Smirl ' given by Professor Newton I have 

 not met with, nor has Grondal, apparently. Pro- 

 fessor Newton also gives ' Dvergfalki,' which is 

 only an adoption of the Danish ' Dvergfalk,' not 

 naturalised. 



Summer visitant, arriving in April and remaining 

 till September. Nowhere very common in my ex- 

 perience. The nest is sometimes placed on the 



c 



