60 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



and accurate iu general, I feel bound to submit that 

 modern confirmation of the occurrence of F. mjroca in 

 Iceland is necessary.] 



-Fuligula marila (Linn.). ScAur Duck. 



Native names : ' Diik-ond ' {i.e. the duck which ' ducks '), 

 and by corruption, ' Duggond.' 

 Summer visitor, abundant, especially towards the 

 north. The plenti fulness of this species at Myvatn 

 may be inferred when I mention that Mr. Thomas 

 Carter and I counted on one small group of islands in 

 that lake 305 nests of the Scaup with eggs on July 13, 

 1885, and at that point stopped counting from sheer 

 weariness — and 120, two days before, in the same 

 district. Later on, every tarn and lake in the north 

 swarms with Scaups, old and young, and a nuisance 

 they are — quite as bad as pheasants in the turnip- 

 fields in September — being almost uneatable. They 

 are distinctly less nasty, however (especially young 

 birds) at this time, before they get to the sea, than 

 when shot on the latter, which is oiu' usual experience 

 of them in England. But I would rather dine off a 

 guillemot, any day. Mandt's Black Guillemot (Uria 

 majulti) I have found very palatable. If I appear to 

 consider the Iceland bird fauna from a gastronomic 

 point of view, I should like to explain that I do so 

 because in that country I trust as far as possible to my 

 rod and gun to keep the table supplied, and, though 

 by no means fastidious, have no preference for what 



