136 BIRDS OF ICELAND 



The eggs are placed on the bare ground on the 

 margin of a lake or on a spit in a marsh or tarn 

 adjacent to a lake, less commonly on an islet. The 

 two eggs are elliptical, 2f inches long, olive or brown 

 in colour, spotted with black, chiefly near the larger 

 end. 



The bird is grey-brown above, spotted finely with 

 white, and white below; the sides of the neck are 

 of a delicate French grey and the throat chestnut. 

 Length 23 inches, wing 11 inches; the females rather 

 smaller. The red throat is lost during the winter, and 

 young birds at that time have, as well as white throats, 

 the feathers of the upper parts edged with dirty white. 



The food consists of fish, and this bird is a very 

 expert diver, like the last species, but more inclined 

 to take wing when pressed than that bird. It utters 

 on the wiug a harsh note between a bark and a laugh, 

 and often flies about, vociferating, on the approach of 

 a storm. Yet the Icelanders used to call it ]?erri- 

 kraka = 'dry (weather) crow,' while our forefathers 

 called it ' Eain-goose ' ! 



4'Podicipes griseigena (Bodd.). 

 Hed-necked Grebe. 



Native name : ' Sefond ' (partim) = ' Eeed-duck.' 



Herra Grondal records one occurrence of the Red- 

 necked Grebe (Skyrsla, p. 52) ; it was shot at Keflavik 

 in December 1885, a male in winter dress, and no 

 doubt, thounh he does not add this information, on 



