94 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



Gallinago coelestis (Frenzel). 

 Common Snipe. 



Native names : ' Hrossa-gaukr ' ( = ' horse-cuckoo/ from 

 the neighing note which we call ' drumming ' or 

 ' bleating ' — an obviously poetical name, and prob- 

 ably imported, considering that the 'gaukr,' i.e. 

 cuckoo, or 'gowk,' is not found in Iceland ; this 

 name occurs in the Younger Edda of the thirteenth 

 century). Also 'Myri-snipa' (mire-snipe), cor- 

 rupted into 'myri-spita' and ' myri-skitr,' which 

 are meaningless. 

 A summer visitor, universally distributed in localities 

 suited to its requirements, but nowhere, as far as I 

 have seen, abundant. I never remember to have shot 

 more than three or four in a day in autumn, but I 

 ouoht to add that I have never once shot in Iceland to 

 ' make a bag,' but only for the personal requirements 

 of the party, and of the neighbours who have kindly 

 allowed me to shoot over their ground. English 

 sportsmen, I am sorry to say, who shoot for the bag, 

 are neither respected nor liked in Iceland. I quote 

 verbatim from a letter in my possession: — ' He had had 

 English sportsmen, who did not leave a very good 

 name behind them, as their only object seemed to be 

 to slaughter as many birds as they could, of any kind, 

 eatable or useless, for the mere sake of killing.' Many 

 British visitors, I am sorry to have to say, obviously care 

 little indeed for the good name of their own country. 



