294 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



A DIARY OF ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATION MADE 

 IN ICELAND DURING JUNE AND JULY, 1912. 



By Edmund Selous. 



(Continued from p. 136.) 



June 10th. — It is curious that, during all this time, I have 

 not seen the cygnets feeding or being encouraged, in any way, 

 to do so, by either of the parent Swans, who seem themselves, 

 also, to have gone fasting. Now, however — from 2 to 3 p.m., 

 that is to say — there is an appearance of something of the sort, 

 though, owing to the distance, I cannot be certain, for the birds 

 have all gone over to the opposite side of the stream, in its 

 wildest part, and no help being now afforded by any promontory 

 or projection of the shore, I have to watch them from the crest 

 of the nearest hill, which is too far for any clear view of minutiae. 

 I get the impression, however, first, that one of the two is 

 pulling up some grass or moist vegetation, for the cygnets, in a 

 little creek of the shore, where they have landed, and, later, for 

 the first time to-day that I have seen, she pulls up weeds from 

 under the water, in the characteristic way, which appear either 

 to drop, each time, on its surface, or remain upon it, as her 

 head comes up — for certainly, I think, she does not eat them. 

 She rests on the water, too, once or twice, after doing this, and 

 her cygnets gather about her, which, it seems, is her intention ; 

 but that the latter eat the weed thus provided is not very appa- 

 rent. If they do, I think it must be in a very toying, uneager 

 sort of way, but this, if I remember, I have observed in similarly 

 fed young cygnets of our own Mute Swan. Soon after this both 

 birds come on shore again, followed by the young, and sit down 

 on the grass, at the regulation distance— ten paces or so from 

 one another. The chicks endeavour to press under the body of 

 (presumably) their mother, as though she were on the nest. To 

 avoid this, apparently, or because the position is not suitable 



