BIRDS OF ICELAND 75 



vegetation on an island in a fresh-water lake, less 

 commonly on the mainland, and is made of loose 

 vegetable matter, with a lining of dusky down added 

 later; the eggs (five to eight in number) are of a 

 creamy white and about 2J inches long. 



The Common Scoter feeds on mollusca chiefly, and 

 is quite unfit to eat. 



The Velvet Scoter {CE. fusca) so common on hill- 

 tarns in Norway, has never yet been recognised in 

 Iceland, but should be looked out for as not unlikely 

 to occur — round the coasts, at all events. It has a 

 white patch on the wing, and the brown-grey female 

 a white spot behind the eye. 



+Mergus merganser (Linn.). Goosandek. 



Native names: ' Stora toppoud,' 'gulond'; the latter 

 seems to mean 'yellow duck,' which does not 

 seem specially applicable ; the first name means 

 ' larger top-knotted duck.' 



Eesident and pretty connnon, and is, with tlie 

 following, the only species of duck which is not pro- 

 tected by law^ in the close season. They are very 

 destructive to fry on salmon and trout rivers, and can 

 easily dispose of a six-inch trout. The two offending 

 species are characterised by their long slender bills, 

 hooked at the tips and serrated along the inner 

 margins, whence their English name of * saw-bills.' 



The nest of this species is placed in a hole in a 

 bank, or under a stone ; the cream-coloured eggs are 



