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FIELD NOTES FROM NORTHERN ICELAND. 
By Henry H. Stater anp THomas CARTER. 
On June 22nd, 1885, we landed in the north-west of Iceland, 
and our guide with a cavalcade of ponies at once gallopped in to 
meet us. As the latter required ashort rest, we fixed on midnight 
of the day following for a start, and next day took a walk to see the 
country. We noted a Raven’s nest and a great many Ravens, 
several Long-tailed Ducks, more Pintails, still more Eiders, with 
Whimbrel, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Purple Sandpipers, Black 
Guillemots, Kittiwakes, and one immature Glaucous Gull. 
At midnight, after a good deal of trouble in getting our effects 
properly packed into saddle-boxes, after the custom of the country, 
we started. It did not look like midnight, of course, in these 
high latitudes. 
For three days we travelled almost incessantly, enjoying a 
great deal of magnificent scenery, but having a very lively time 
of it, what with the north wind and snow showers, rough roads 
(mere sheep-tracks), rivers to be forded, and marshes and snow 
fields to be crossed. We kept guns and binoculars ready, and 
picked up any eggs and skins we wanted, whenever we had a 
chance. Of the former we took, amongst others, Pintail and 
Red-necked Phalarope (the Grey Phalarope we uever met with, 
though it has occurred); in skins all that is worthy of mention is 
a drake Harlequin which S. shot, and whose body made the piece 
de resistance of a breakfast for us. Of this bird we saw a good 
number. We noted also a Falcon, a Heron (a rare occasional 
visitor to Iceland), Snow Buntings (the males of which looked at 
a distance like exaggerated cabbage butterflies ; their song we 
duly appreciated ; it is not unlike, but hardly equal to, that of the 
Lapp Bunting), some Geese, Pintail, Harlequin, Scaup, Teal, 
Common, and Golden-eye Ducks (S. is confident that he saw one 
male of the common Goldeneye, but C. islandica is, of course, the 
prevailing species of the country), Sclavonian Grebes, and Great 
Northern Divers. Besides these we saw, of course, White Wag- 
tails, Wheatears, Meadow Pipits, Ravens, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, 
Arctic Terns, Golden Plover, and Whimbrel, which are to be 
seen in all parts of Iceland, and the last two of which the 
