ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM ICELAND. 129 



but reinforced now by five workmen, all mounted upon ponies 

 (Icelanders will never walk far). Fifteen minutes' ride 

 brought us to the base of the mountain where the Falcons had 

 bred for some years past. Here we all dismounted and pro- 

 ceeded on foot about three hundred yards ; one of the men then 

 pointed out a cave in the face of the cliff, fully four hundred 

 feet above us, where the young birds were believed to be, and 

 still higher we could just make out one of the parent birds 

 watching us from a ledge. 



The only way to get at the cave was to climb a steep and 

 rugged slope leading up to a substantial mass of rock, directly 

 over the cave, but some eighty feet above it. 



After considerable labour and no small risk, my friend from 

 Tenby, myself, and an Icelander safely accomplished this feat. 

 The next business was to arrange a means of descent to the 

 cave below. The rope we had borrowed was of hide, thin but 

 very strong ; one end was fixed to my waist and the other my 

 companions took charge of. Having had considerable experi- 

 ence in taking eggs of Peregrine Falcon, Buzzard, Raven, &c, 

 along the coast of South "Wales, I had no great difficulty to 

 descend here. I should certainly have preferred one of my own 

 ropes, for this was so thin that I must have looked uncommonly 

 like a spider hanging from the end of its silken web. The 

 cave was nearly six feet in height, and about four deep ; there 

 was no nest, but the floor was strewn with dead and mangled 

 bodies of ducks. There were three young Falcons, about three 

 parts grown, with the feathers showing strongly through the 

 grey down. They put forward many objections with voice, 

 beak, and talons, to entering the bag, but I managed to over- 

 come their scruples and brought them safely to the top. 



I am pleased to say these birds travelled safely to Aukereyii, 

 and from there to England. 



Should any readers of the Ornithologist be tempted to 

 visit Iceland, I shall be happy to give them any information in 

 my power. 



Candler Street, Scarborough. 



