ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATION IN ICELAND. 65 



Eagle, there are not a few who consider its blown egg, in a cabinet, 

 a still grander object of contemplation. 



After the two Eagles have thus floated and circled together — 

 a large togetherhood — one of them, with a great rush of wings, 

 shoots down, in a slant, towards the lake, and sweeping on, close 

 to its surface, when seeming on the point of immersing itself, 

 just dips with his claws, and floats upwards to the peak of a cliff. 

 Here he alights, and, though the distance is great, I can see 

 him, through the glasses, once or twice lower his head to his 

 feet, and raise it again, after the manner of birds of prey, when 

 feeding. It seems evident, therefore, that he has caught a fish, 

 yet I could make out nothing in his claws as he flew. Probably 

 they were pressed to the breast, and hidden amongst the feathers, 

 the fish being only a small one. After the meal, the birds con- 

 tinue their wheelings, and I notice that whenever they pass over 

 the headland, at the end of the line of cliffs, they are assaulted 

 by a bird that looks like a speck in proportion to them. It gives, 

 at the distance, the impression of a mere Sparrow — a " small 

 bird "—but the glasses show it to be one of the Eagle's own 

 kind. It must be, I think, a Merlin or a Hobby — probably the 

 former. Evidently a pair of them have their nest in the cliffs 

 of this headland. The little doughty knight dashes at its big 

 relatives, most temerariously, and, as shown by their man- 

 ner of avoiding it, is evidently an annoyance to them. It is 

 possible, even, that they cannot avoid its small activity, and get 

 a peck or two, but this I cannot quite make out. 



After this both Eagles disappear for some time, and it is not 

 till 2.30 p.m. that the female floats up alone, and comes down 

 on the nest or the nesting-ledge. But, in the same way as 

 yesterday, she goes up again almost directly, and it is not till 

 4.45 that she returns and broods the eggs. At 7.40 she comes 

 off, and floats majestically around, as though enjoying the 

 relaxation, offering a splendid spectacle. Then, as before, she 

 descends on the eyrie, only to stay there an instant, and, having 

 descended upon various peaks and pinnacles, floats out of sight. 

 At 8.20 she returns and re-broods the eggs, but leaves them 

 again at 9 (for which possibly I am responsible) ; and now, as she 

 sails grandly about, she is mobbed by a party of three Gulls — 

 Great Black-backeds — who dash at her — sometimes a pair of 



