ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATION IN ICELAND. 61 



the side of the gorge as usual ; it is always the same side. She 

 dips just behind the shoulder of a little rise, near to and parallel 

 with the next ravine (just where she has before, when the male 

 has come in whilst she was incubating) and from above this, in 

 a few moments, go up some white or lightish-coloured objects 

 which have all the appearance of feathers. All at once I see 

 the male bird standing higher up the slope, and, in a little, he 

 flies in the direction of where the female has disappeared, and 

 disappearing himself, in the same way, an instant afterwards 

 more feathers fly up. Then, shortly, the female appears, 

 carrying in her claws the body of a dead bird (as is soon 

 evident), from which a great part of the feathers seem to be 

 gone. She carries it to the ledge, and the male follows her 

 there, and seems almost on the point of alighting, as if protesting 

 playfully against this appropriation — I mean it has that appear- 

 ance. The young are then fed — the same decorous scene as 

 before. Their mother gives them small bits, and eats larger 

 pieces herself. There is once a feather on a piece received by 

 one of the chicks. He seems embarrassed by it, and the mother 

 pulls it off. A big piece, partially feathered, she takes back and 

 swallows herself, feathers and all. At 4.10 p.m. she flies off, 

 makes some swift, graceful circlings — disporting herself appar- 

 ently — and comes in again at 4.12. The feeding is not resumed, 

 so that it has occupied a quarter of an hour — for it commenced 

 at 3.55. In this instance, too, therefore, there can be no doubt 

 that the male has brought in prey — a bird — which he has placed 

 somewhere, and to which the female has flown. It is his 

 business, evidently, to provide food for his wife and family, and 

 hers to distribute it to the latter. From feathers going up again 

 immediately on the disappearance of the male behind the rise, 

 it looks as though he helped in this — it is probable indeed that 

 he does the greater part of it where he first strikes down the 

 prey. At 4.25 there is the twittering of the male again. The 

 female turns her head about, looks surprised, as though she 

 thought it a great deal too soon, and does not leave the ledge. 

 She remains with the chicks for over an hour and a half, and 

 then, at 6*5, goes suddenly off, and it is she, I think, who now 

 twitters as she flies about. She shortly passes from my sight, 

 and I do not see any meeting between her and the male, though 



