TRAVELS IN ICELAND, 



01 



in these districts. There is an island in the Hitardal, four miles 

 from the sea,, situated on a mountain in the middle of the lake 

 of Hittarvatu, which forms an epoch in the history of Iceland, 

 A priest named Haldarson, at the beginning of the present 

 century, sowed a quantity of Angelica in this island. The cul- 

 ture of this plant attracted every year the gulls and wild 

 ducks, who made their nests and laid here in preference to any 

 other spot, because the little shrubby branches of this plant 

 protected their nests from wind and rain. The gull being na- 

 turally strong and hardy, protected not merely its own nest, but 

 that of the duck from all the attacks of the raven, and another 

 species of gull. It is known, that in every other part, the gulls 

 are not so favourably disposed towards the wild ducks as here, 

 because they do not like their nests to be near each other. 

 Another remarkable circumstance with respect to the gull, is, 

 that of its agility and strength, w hich enable it to attack the largest 

 salmon, when they come up the river. In the Thveraa, the 

 water is so shallow in summer, that the salmon cannot swim 

 through it, but are obliged to clear certain spots, by jumping 

 by the aid of their fins: the gull seizes this opportunity to wound 

 the salmon with its beak on the middle of the belly, and this 

 ivound, though slight, immediately deprives the fish of the use 

 of its fins, or rather of its whole strength, and it consequently 

 dies. It also frequently happens, that the wound given by the 

 gull, reaches the heart and causes its instant death. 



The sea-swallow is also very numerous in these quarters*, 

 and is remarkable for its courage; as it attacks with the greatest 

 effrontery all persons who approach its nest or young ; it, how- 

 ever, often pays for its temerity with its life. 



There is also here a species of lapwingf, of which such sur- 

 prising stories are told by the people, that we must admit it to 

 possess more rare qualities than any other kind of bird; it is 

 Said, for example, that it partakes of the nature of the worm, 

 and that when pursued, it darts into the earth, how ever compact 

 or hard it may be. Others assert, that it has very great skill in 

 witchcraft, and many similar prejudices prevail against it, which 

 doubtless arise from its extreme scarcity. It is, however, certain, 

 that this bird exists in many parts of Iceland near the ther- 

 mal springs, or in the vicinity of the rivulets and swamps ; 

 and that not being able to fly, it lives under ground in little 

 holes or cavities ; for, when met with, which frequently hap- 

 pens in those parts, it escapes in an instant from the observer, 



* Sterna alba, cap He supra nigro, rostro et pedibus rubris, cauda sor- 

 tipata rectricibus duabus extrimis longiasi?}iis, albo nigroque dimidiatis. 

 f Tringa rostro brevi nigro tota dilate cenerea. 



