108 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



prepared for the young birds, when hatched, to digest 

 their food with. 



Whimbrels' eggs, with those of the Golden Plover, 

 seem to be the staple prey of the Eaven and Eichard- 

 son's Skua. I have seen many encounters between 

 Whimbrels and the latter robber, which have generally 

 ended favourably to the right when there were both 

 the Whimbrels present; but a pair of Skuas to a single 

 Whimbrel is too great odds. I once saw a Eaven, on 

 plunder bent, get a sound thrashing from a pair of 

 Whimbrels {Ihis, 1886, p. 48). 



The Whimbrel is a fair bird for the table, but no 

 more can be said. The sportsman in Iceland mentally 

 gives it the same place in his estimation as to the 

 French partridge at home, and does not, therefore, 

 shoot it when he can get Golden Plover or Snipe. 



The plumage of the head, neck, breast, and upper 

 surface is pale grey-brown with darker centres to the 

 feathers ; the crown has two broad sooty-black stripes 

 covering the greater part of it. Eump, chin, and 

 centre of belly white; axillaries (the long narrow 

 feathers under the wing) white, barred with brown ; 

 bill long and decurved. Total length 16 to 17 inches, 

 female a little the larger; wing 9i inches. 



Food, insects, worms, Crustacea, land-snails. 



