it is difficult to exaggerate the value of embryology in the present state of scientific research. Professed naturalists are of course aware of all this, but these words may haply be read by some who would otherwise think that by neatly preparing the skins, and according to the most approved method blowing the eggs of the very last of the Gare-Fowls, they were advancing the study of natural history.

Having thus indicated the most prominent features in the ornithology of Iceland, I will conclude by giving a list of the birds, which, as nearly as I can ascertain, have been hitherto met with in that country; in drawing it up my object has been to exclude all about the occurrence of which any reasonable doubt may be said to exist, though reference is made to most of them in the notes. This list is rather intended for the scientific than the general public. It will be found that I have quoted especially from Faber, whom I consider by far the best authority on the subject, and I only hope I have not been unnecessarily critical, especially when speaking of the labours of Herr Preyer, from whose opinion I am unfortunately so often compelled to dissent.

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE. Haliaetus albicilla (Linn.)—Œrn. Assa. Generally distributed throughout the island in the vicinity of water, but nowhere very abundant. Breeds and, according to Faber, remains during the winter.

ICELAND FALCON. Falco islandicus Gmel.-Fálki. Veiðifálki. Valur. Probably of universal occurrence in Iceland, but certainly more common near Myvatn than anywhere else in the island, owing perhaps to the great facilities for breeding afforded them by the inaccessible precipices in the neighbourhood, and to the abundance of food in the immediate neighbourhood.

GREENLAND FALCON. Falco candicans Gmel.-Hvítifálki.

Much less abundant than the preceding, with which it was so long confounded, but of regular occurrence in the winter. Has not been known to breed in Iceland, in fact the only instance I am acquainted with of its being met with there in summer is the one mentioned by Herr Preyer, who states that he saw one in a lonely valley between Hafnafjörðr and Krísuvík, apparently towards the end of June. The pale colour of the beak and claws, especially observable in freshly killed specimens, always serve as a ready means of distinguishing this from the true Iceland Falcon.

Faber mentions that he shot an example of Falco lanarius (Linn.) at Akureyri, Sept. 18, 1819, but from what we know now of the geographical distribution of the Lanner, I think it highly probable that he was mistaken, and the more so that it was not until nearly twenty-five years afterwards that the confused nomenclature of the Falcons began to be cleared up. I quite agree with Dr. Krüper's suggestion as to Faber's bird having been a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus, Gmel.), but I do not know that any subsequent observer has noticed this species in Iceland.

MERLIN. Falco asalon Linn.-Smirill. Dvergfálki. Smirl.

Arrives, acccording to Faber, at the end of March, and goes away at the beginning of October. Very common everywhere, and breeds on the moors.

SNOWY OWL. Surnia nyctea (Linn.)-Snjó-ugla. Náttugla.

It may

Not unfrequently observed in winter, but rarely seen in summer. very possibly breed in some parts of the interior, but probably most of the examples met with come from Greenland, though not necessarily in a ship, as Horrebow supposes.

SHORT-EARED OWL. Otus brachyotus (Gmel.)—Trjáugla. (?) Brandugla. (?) Olafsen gives (tab. xlvi.) the figure of a bird, which to my mind can only be intended to represent the above-named species, though Jonas Hallgrimsson says he can make nothing of it. Unfortunately the reference on the plate is to a page of the work where no mention is made of an Owl. But at page 705, speaking of the birds of the north of Iceland, and of what is no doubt the preceding species, he mentions another smaller Owl, which may be seen in the south and west, though but seldom. This, he says, is of a yellowish brown, speckled with white and black all over, and these particulars are not irreconcilable with Dr. Krüper's theory that Otus brachyotus is meant. Faber seems to have thought that the second species of Owl found in Iceland was the Stric aluco of Linnæus, but it is hardly likely to occur in such a country.

HOUSE MARTIN. Chelidon urbica (Linn.)-Bæjarsvala.

SWALLOW. Hirundo rustica Linn.-Landsvala.

Both the above-mentioned species seem to occur annually, but do not remain long in one place.

NORTHERN WREN. Troglodytes borealis Fischer, Journ. f. Orn. IX. p. 14. -Músarbróðir. Músarrindill.

In 1861, as above quoted, my friend Herr J. C. H. Fischer, of Copenhagen, pointed out the distinctions observable between Faroese and Continental examples of the hitherto undivivided Troglodytes parvulus Koch. To the kindness of Mr. John Hancock I am indebted for the opportunity of examining a specimen of the Wren of Iceland. This I find to correspond with Herr Fischer's description of T. borealis, and accordingly I here adopt that name, believing that a sufficiently good species is thereby indicated. It is not unworthy of remark that the Icelandic example now before me is to some degree midway in appearance between our British form and the T. aedon of North America. The much larger bill and feet of the Northern Wren are characters which enable it to be easily distinguished from our own familiar bird.

BLACKBIRD. Turdus merula Linn.

Seems to have occurred on two occasions in Iceland. The first, in 1823, is mentioned by Herr Preyer (p. 428), on the authority of Gliemann; the second, in March, 1860, by Mr. Metcalfe (pp. 191, 192). But even if there was no mistake in either case, it must be regarded as a very exceptional

visitor.

REDWING. Turdus iliacus Linn.-Skogar-thröstur.

An annual migrant, and found in suitable localities throughout the island. Breeds early, beginning its nest before the snow is well off the ground. Mr.

Fowler found that by the 26th May most of the young had hatched, but it must also be double-brooded, as Mr. Proctor found a nest on the 7th August only just left by the young.

BLACK REDSTART. Ruticilla tithys (Scop.)

First noticed in Iceland by Herr Preyer, who says that he saw it at Viðey, on the 17th June, 1860, and thought that it had a nest in a hole in the wall of the little chapel there. This may have been the species mentioned by Olafsen (p. 586, § 679, b), as seen by him in September, 1763.

WHEATEAR. Saxicola ananthe (Linn.)-Steindepill. Steinklappa. Grádílóttur.

Rather plentiful over the whole island, but, of course, only a summer visitant. WHITE WAgtail. Motacilla alba Linn. Máriu-erla. Máriátitlingur. Máriatla.

Not quite so common as the last, but, from its more familiar habits, more frequently observed. Arrives at the end of April, leaves in September.

MEADOW PIPIT. Anthus pratensis (Linn.)-Grátitlingur. Thúfutitlingur. Common on low grounds over the whole country. Migratory as the last.

LAPLAND BUNTING. Emberiza lapponica Linn.-Sportitlingur.

Very seldom observed in Iceland. Faber saw a single example in the south in the spring of 1821. I do not know of any other unquestionable instance of its occurrence. Herr Preyer supposes that the bird mentioned by Olafsen (p. 586, § 679, a) may have been this species.

SNOW BUNTING. Emberiza nivalis Linn.-Snjótitlingur. Sólskrikja (æstate). Titlings-blike (mas).

Perhaps the commonest of Icelandic small birds. Most of them pass the winter in the country, according to Faber. The nests are pretty easy to find with a little patient watching, but difficult, and sometimes impossible to get at, from being situated so far in crevices of the rock.

MEALY REDPOLL. Linota linaria (Linn.) (sed non auctt. britt.).—Auɣnutitlingur.

Rare in Iceland. Faber found a nest on the 13th July, 1820, in the north, but the young had flown from it. It occurred in small flocks at Akureyri in the following winter, and Mr. Proctor met with a pair near that place, August 10, 1837. Dr. Krüper was more fortunate, obtaining several nests with eggs at Myvatn. Olafsen is thus entirely justified in his supposition (p. 586) that it bred in Iceland. He also mentions its appearance on the islands of the Breiðifjörðr. I think Dr. Krüper is right in suggesting that the bird which Faber says (p. 14) he killed at Húsavík, Sept. 12, 1819, and which he identifies with the Loxia serinus of Scopoli, must have been only the young of this species. (Naumannia, VII. i. pp. 63, 64, note.)

RAVEN. Corvus corax Linn.-Hrafn. Very abundant, and resident all the year. the impression that they were peculiar to

Krummi.

The pied varieties, which, under the Faroes, Vieillot, and others

after him, have considered entitled to specific recognition, and named Corvus

leucophaeus, have, since Faber's time, been also observed in Iceland. Herr Preyer says that he saw one at Fremrikot in the north, and another at Hruni in the south. Mr. Baring-Gould observed one on Oxnardalsheiði. I have also known two pied Ravens in England. Mr. Wolley ascertained, on his first visit to the Faroes, of which an account will be found in Sir W. Jardine's Contributions to Ornithology, that it was no unusual thing for a mottled individual to be hatched from the same nest as entirely black ones. It appears to me that Herr Preyer has entirely misapprehended the statement of M. Temminck's, which he quotes (p. 389).

HOODED CROW. Corvus cornix Linn.-Kráka.

Does not inhabit Iceland, but occasionally pays a visit thither. Faber saw some in the north in July and August, 1819.

Certain black Crows are said to have occasionally made their appearance in the south-west of Iceland, and Faber supposes them to have been the Corvus corone of Linnæus, but Jonas Hallgrimsson (p. 65) especially says that they have been bald at the base of the bill, and hence I should infer that they were certainly Rooks (Corvus frugilegus, Linn.) The more so as the black Carrion Crow does not occur even in the Orkneys, Shetlands, or Færoes, nor is it found in Norway. Jonas Hallgrimsson further mentions that on one of these birds which was taken at Viðey, Olafsen composed a poem, and applies to it the name of "Færeyja-hrafn.”

ICELAND PTARMIGAN. Lagopus islandorum (Faber).-Rjúpa. Keri (mas.)
Rjúpkarri (idem).

Faber was the first to show the distinction between the Ptarmigans of Iceland and the rest of Europe, but it is by no means certain to me whether the former is not identical with that of Greenland (Lagopus reinhardti, Brehm), and this perhaps again with the Tetrao rupestris of older authors. I have a considerable series of skins of the Iceland bird in my possession, and they appear not only to differ constantly from Scotch and Norwegian specimens, but to differ much more from them than the latter do from one another. In Iceland the birds are pretty numerous, and not confined to the mere mountain tops as are their brethren in Scotland and other parts of Europe, but may be found almost in all places where berries grow.

WATER RAIL. Rallas aquaticus (Linn.)-Keldu-svín.

Rare in Iceland, though apparently a resident there. Faber obtained one in the north on the 23rd December, 1819. Dr. Krüper says he saw two of its eggs in a collection at Reykjavík in 1856, and these were probably the specimens which were obtained two years after by Mr. Wolley and myself, and are now in my possession. M. Benguerel also seems to have met with the bird, concerning which wonderful stories are told by the Icelanders.

I may here take the opportunity of remarking that Olafsen speaks of this bird (p. 227) as a Tringa, which, I think, rather diminishes the value of his statement about his puzzling "Lækiadudra," also described by him as belonging to the same genus. I am myself

COOT.

unable to suggest what this last species may be, but I think that had Herr Preyer read the passage (pp. 985-6) carefully, he would never have supposed it could refer to Totanus ochropus.

Fulica atra Linn.-Vatnshæna.

Faber mentions a pair killed at Reykjavík late in the year 1819, and one caught in the sea off Grindavík, in April, 1821. In 1858, one was killed near Utskála, the skin of which is in my possession. I am not aware that it has occurred in Iceland except in the south-west. the Coot, which has been met with occasionally in Greenland, is the corresponding Transatlantic species, F. americana, Gmel.

It is worthy of remark that

LAPWING. Vanellus cristatus (Meyer).-Vepja. Isakráka.

Occasionally wanders to the south-west portion of the island, chiefly in autumn. Faber mentions its occurrence at Hafnafjörðr in 1818, and on the Vestmanneyjar in 1820; Jonas Hallgrimsson corroborates this assertion.

GOLDEN PLOVER. Charadrius pluvialis Linn.-Lóa. Heylóa.

Quite the commonest bird in Iceland, and of great use to the traveller, who by its means often obtains a good meal in the desert. In Greenland its place is taken by the nearly allied C. virginicus Bork., which is easily distinguished from it by its grey axillaries.

RINGED PLOVER. Aegialites hiaticula (Linn.)—Sandlóa.

Not rare on the sea-coast and on some of the moors in the interior.

TURNSTONE. Strepsilas interpres (Linn.)-Tildra.

Said by Faber to be of commoner occurrence in the south and west than in the north; yet he found it on Grimsey, in June, 1820. It arrives in Iceland about the last week in April; and I have little doubt breeds there, for Mr. Proctor has received its unmistakable eggs from the north. It mostly leaves again in the autumn, but Faber obtained one at Reykjavík, on the 11th December, 1820. In 1858 it was very common in the south-west about the end of May.

OYSTER-CATCHER. Haematopus ostralegus (Linn.)-Tjaldur.

Like the last, appears to be more common in the south than in the north. Faber considered it to be resident throughout the year, for it remains in large flocks during the winter in the south. It is of course most abundant on the sea-coast, but Herr Preyer met with it on some of the inland waters.

GREY PHALAROPE. Phalaropus fulicarius (Linn.)—Thorshani. Flatnefjaɣdur-Sundhani. Rausbrystingur (partim).

This bird has been but seldom observed by strangers in Iceland, yet in 1858 I found that it was very well-known to the natives of the district where Faber had seen it in 1821. On the 21st June in that year he obtained a pair, which were swimming in a flock of the commoner species, next to be mentioned. The female contained largely developed eggs. On the following day he found a single pair at their breeding-place, in the neighbourhood of locality, and searched in vain for their nest. Finally, on the 9th July, he met with a family party some miles to the eastward. In 1858,

the same