BIRDS OF ICELAND 43 



chooses to devote a summer to considerable personal 

 discomfort, and some expense, by making an early 

 visit to Iceland and following goose-haunted rivers 

 (such as the one. mentioned above) to their upper 

 waters, it is likely enough that he might be able to 

 solve in part the problem of the breeding of geese in 

 Iceland. It might only result in a 'wild-goose chase' 

 of a less productive kind, however, for the difficulties 

 would be considerable. I would willingly give any 

 help in my power to any one who contemplated 

 making the attempt. As far as I can ascertain, owing 

 to increased persecution at the hands of those who 

 want their eggs to eat or to sell, all the wild geese in 

 Iceland have withdrawn themselves still farther into 

 the interior of late years. 



The nests of wild geese are much alike ; but the eggs 

 of the present species, which we may put down as a very 

 rare breeder in Iceland, are decidedly small, measuring 

 about 3 inches by 2, and are creamy white in tint. 



The bird is of a brown-grey colour above (not blue- 

 grey on the rump, like the Grey Lag) ; the breast is of 

 a dirty grey and is marked, in the gander especially, 

 with coarse irregular black bars. There is a con- 

 spicuous margin of white feathers round the base of 

 the bill, which is oranoe-coloured with a white terminal 

 'nail.' Feet and legs orange also. In young birds 

 (which are duskier) the white ring round the bill and 

 the black blotches on the breast are almost, or quite, 

 absent. Length of male 2G to 27 inches (female rather 

 less), wing 16 inches. 



