BIRDS OF ICELAND 77 



has a dusky-spotted bar across the chest, and near the 

 shoulder a patch of very conspicuous white feathers 

 with black borders. It is much smaller, however, 

 being only 22 inches long, with a wing of 10 inches. 

 The female is also a small copy of the female Goosander, 

 but is more rusty red, and less grey, on the upper 

 parts. Length 21 inches, wing 9 J inches. 



The food consists of fish, and fish only — young trout 

 and salmon for choice ; and though its numbers ought 

 to be kept in check for that reason (and it is, like 

 the Goosander, exempted from legal protection), it is 

 absolutely worthless for table purposes. 



-^ Lagopus rupestris (Gmelin). 

 Rock Ptarmigan. 



Native names : ' Rjiipa,' ' Rjiip-karri ' {$), old form 

 ' Rjupkeri.' 



Resident, frequenting hillsides at all altitudes like 

 our Red Grouse, but, unlike it, found usually in birch 

 woods and in the wildest and raggedest lava-tracts. 

 To these latter they are very partial, retiring to them 

 after feeding, and the old cocks sit on boulders and 

 lava pinnacles (to keep a look-out, perhaps), as Black- 

 cocks do on stone walls at home. Hence, I suppose, 

 the name rupestris. In severe weather, hunger drives 

 them down to the coast. 



The nest is loosely made, of a few twigs and stalks 

 of grass with odd feathers of the bird's own, and is 

 often partially concealed under a willow bush, or 



