BIRDS OF ICELAND 67 



there are all manner of intermediate stages, dependent 

 on age and season. But the long central tail-feathers 

 which are from 7 to 9 inches long, and which gain for 

 this bird, on the Northumberland coast, the name of 

 'Sea Pheasant,' are a distinguishing mark which is 

 seen at a glance. In winter the drake has a white 

 head, with forehead and cheeks pale grey, and a brown 

 streak on each side of the neck ; the back and shoulders 

 and most of the wing are nearly black, the rest of the 

 bird white except the brown secondaries. In summer 

 the side of the head becomes white, the rest of the 

 head and neck turning brown like the back, while the 

 feathers of the back and scapulars show conspicuous 

 chestnut edges. I do not know which of the plumages 

 is handsomest. The female is of a dusky-grey brown 

 all over, with a whitish streak behind the eye, and 

 dusky-white underparts, and no lengthening of the 

 central tail-feathers. The drake is 22 to 25 inches 

 long, including the tail (tail 3i- inches without the long 

 feathers), wing 9 inches. The female about 16 inches 

 altogether. 



The food when on the sea (that is, during the greater 

 part of the year) consists of marine mollusca, often 

 obtained at a very considerable depth, with Crustacea. 

 On fresh water the mollusca, so abundant in most 

 lakes in Iceland, as well as in the rivers which do not 

 originate in glaciers, form their principal food, mixed 

 with aquatic larvae, etc., and generally some vegetable 

 matter. 



The clear bugle-call of the drake, which is uttered 



