EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH OF ICELAND. 417 



morning could get but a repetition of the cold milk and hot coffee. It 

 was eight o'clock p.m. on the third day before I reached civilization 

 and food. That fearful fog did not lift for four days, and I believe it 

 was this same fog which led to the tragic suicide of the navigating 

 lieutenant of H.M.S. ' Blonde,' the officers of which I had previously 

 met at Husavick. I did not hear of this sad event until I returned 

 to England. 



Black Guillemot, U. gnjlle. (Teista.) — Very common. I procured 

 adults only, and those were on the island above referred to. 



Puffin, Fratercula arctica. (Lundi.) — Also very common. I pro- 

 cured one adult, and one young covered with down, from the top of 

 this island. The nesting-holes were unusually long in which the 

 birds were breeding, and it was a very difficult matter to get to the 

 young. 



Great Northern Diver, Colymbiis glacialis. (Himbrimi.) — I found 

 this bird distinctly rare in the North, and only saw about four speci- 

 mens, two of which were on the coast. I obtained a splendid adult 

 and two eggs. 



Eed-throated Diver, C. septentrionalis. (Lomur.) — This was the 

 common species of Diver, and in one district I saw as many as twenty 

 at one time. I obtained adult male and female, young in down, and 

 young in first plumage. 



Slavonian Grebe, Poclicipes auritus. (Sefond.) — Very abundant 

 in some districts. I found no nests as actual floating structures ; they 

 were all built up from the bottom of the lake, until the surface of the 

 water was reached. The commonest site was under a projecting mass of 

 lava, without any surrounding vegetation, and the eggs could be dis- 

 tinctly seen a long distance away. I obtained a good series of adults, 

 young just hatched, young half-grown, and nest and eggs. 



Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis. (Fylungur.) — Plentiful at sea, but I 

 did not visit any breeding haunt. 



I was absent from Birmingham just over eight weeks. Eighteen 

 days of this time was spent on board the Danish mail steamers 

 during the outward and return journeys ; so that I had actually 

 less than six weeks on land in the North for collecting. During 

 this time I procured 330 specimens of birds, a splendid series of 

 nests, eggs, and down ; skinned and preserved all my specimens, 

 labelled them, and made elaborate separate notes on soft parts, 

 and measurements. I wrote up my journal daily, when it was 

 possible to do so, recording my observations upon the habits of 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. V., November, 190L 2 k 



