ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATION IN ICELAND. 01 



they struck at him, and, on his return, he was served in the 

 same way by Whimbrels, though these, I think, were less un- 

 pleasant assailants, and his cries were not quite so plaintive. 

 Again, in the Shetlands, I have seen him thus pestered by 

 Skuas — the smaller kind — and only too glad to get away from 

 them. Three Ravens, if I remember, flying together, were a 

 good deal put upon in this way, and yet not a Skua was struck 

 dead. Of course there is not much in this ; Gulls, as has been 

 seen, may tempt Eagles with equal impunity, but the two 

 pictures presented are very different. The Eagle does not cry 

 out in distress. It is magnificent to see him float majestically 

 away from the canaille, not hurry with quick, frightened, 

 undignifiedly flapping wings. Either thus in the air, or stand- 

 ing, stately, on some rock, with great bill raised to repel the 

 impertinence, whilst stooped at and worried by Merlins, always 

 and everywhere the Eagle, like King Lear, is " every inch a 

 King." Depose him for the Raven! That would be "fine 

 revolution," indeed, nor would it end there, for on that day — 



" . . . . shall packhorses, 

 And hollow, pampered jades of Asia, 

 Which cannot go but thirty miles a day, 

 Compare with Caesars and with cannibals, 

 And Trojan Greeks." 



Leaving my tent about 3 or 3.30 in the afternoon, I went to 

 the little pool at the head of the bay in which the creek, formed 

 by the entrance of the hardly noticeable stream, commences. 

 In the centre of it were two Phalaropes, one larger and much 

 more brightly marked than the other. They approached one 

 another, and when quite near, the smaller of the two went up, 

 with a little flirt, from the water, flew a yard or so away, and 

 went down on it again — and this was repeated before the birds 

 noticed me. Here then were nuptial activities, but nothing in 

 the nature of predominance on the one part and subjection on 

 the other. The sudden start off of the male had nothing to do 

 with fear, and the flight was a mock one made in a " catch me 

 if you can " sort of spirit, coquettish in short, one and the same 

 with such as I have recorded on the part of the Slavonian 

 Grebes. I watched for some little time, having an umbrella, 



