134 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



is concerned. A pair breeds on the majority of the hill- 

 tarns and lakes which contain fish — very rarely, two 

 pairs are to be seen on the same lake. Lives on the 

 sea during the rest of the year, and feeds exclusively 

 on fish. 



The nest is placed on an islet in a lake, or at the 

 end of a spit of land projecting from the mainland ; 

 it hardly amounts to a hollow in the ground, but is 

 usually garnished with a little dead water- weed or 

 grass. The two eggs vary from dark brown to deep 

 olivaceous, more or less spotted with black, and are 

 3h inches long. 



The bird in summer is black above, white below, 

 with purple and green sheen on the neck, and two 

 transverse black bars across the black-streaked throat ; 

 back beautifully marbled with white. Length 30 to 

 35 inches, wing 13 to 14J inches ; the males considerably 

 the larger, and often, indeed, than one another. Two 

 shot the same day, which were paying attentions to 

 the same lady, weighed 10 J and 13 lbs. respectively. 

 Females and young birds in the winter only scale 

 about 8 lbs. ; at this season the black bars on the 

 neck are lost, and the young birds are very dusky 

 grey all over, darker on the upper parts. 



The diving powers of this species are remarkable, 

 and also its speed under water ; I have seen it traverse 

 what I feel certain was fully half a mile below the 

 surface, in an incredibly shoit space of time. It is 

 not easy to procure specimens on the water, but it 

 may be done by taking an individual and rowing after 



