EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH OF ICELAND. 413 



breeding haunts are amongst some of the wildest and most romantic 

 spots in Iceland. I had some narrow escapes from drowning in trying 

 to recover downy young which I had shot. The female is a noble 

 duck in the defence of her young. I obtained adult male in breeding 

 dress, and in the ra,re eclipse stage — hitherto unknown ; adult females, 

 a good series of downy young, eggs, and down. 



EiDEE-DucK, Somateria moUissima. (^dur.) — Simply swarming 

 everywhere along the North coast. A strictly protected bird. I got 

 adult male and female, a good series of downy young, nest, eggs, and 

 down. 



King-Eider, ^S'. spectabilis. ( Jj]dark6ngur.) — A very intelligent 

 farmer, who could speak English fluently, knew this duck perfectly, 

 and described the peculiarity of the bill. He assured me that it bred 

 frequently, but occasionally, amongst his other Eiders ; it had not 

 appeared the season I was there. However, I saw some small dark- 

 looking Eiders which puzzled me, and wanted to secure one, but 

 Sugurdur would not let me, as he was afraid of this farmer. If I had 

 seen the farmer before I did the ducks, I am afraid I should have acci- 

 dentally killed one of them. 



Common ScoTKE, (Edeniia nigra. (Hrafnsond.) — Not plentiful, in 

 my experience. I procured adult female, downy young, eggs, and 

 down. 



Goosander, ISleryus merganser. (Toppond.) — I did not meet with 

 this bird, and only saw the skin of an adult male which had been shot 

 on Lake Myvatn. I was told that the bird formerly bred in the district, 

 but has now deserted it. 



Merganser, M. serrator. (Litla toppond.) — Fairly abundant. 

 I got downy young only. 



EocK Ptarmigan, Lagopiis rupestris. (Ejupa.) — Very common, some 

 of the moorlands in the North swarming with them. I saw broods of 

 twenty. This is altogether the most stupid bird I have ever met with. 

 It trusts so blindly to its protective colouring that I really think it 

 believes itself to be invisible. This was far from the case to my eyes, 

 for I could detect them far more quickly than the Icelanders could. I 

 saw some very fine instances of protective mimicry, however, in this 

 bird. I obtained males and females in summer, autumn, and winter 

 plumages, every stage in the growth of the young bird, from just 

 hatched up to nearly full-grown, nest, and eggs. The little chick can 

 fly when about three days old. 



Ringed Plover, MgiaJitis hiaticula. (Sandloa.) — Fairly abundant. 

 The first of these birds I saw puzzled me exceedingly, as their upper 

 parts were of a light chocolate colour. I could not procure specimens, 



