Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/443

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EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH OF ICELAND.
415

I got adult males and females and fledged young, but with the heads still covered with down. The young in first plumage have not been properly described. Those which reach our shores in the autumn, with the pale margins to the feathers, and which Seebohm describes as first plumage, are practically the third stage, and acquired by moult. There are two stages in the plumage of the young bird after the downy stage, acquired without a moult, and which are quite distinct from the autumn bird.

Redshank, Totanus calidris. (Stelkur.)—In fair numbers in many districts. I obtained adult male and female and downy young. My adults are very heavily barred, more so than any I have ever seen before, and have practically no white under parts.

Whimbrel, Numenius phæopus. (Spói.)—Another of the commonest of Iceland birds. Very bold and very noisy. I have seen these birds mobbing the Iceland Falcon. I made some fine studies of this bird, and shall be able to produce some striking pictures. The series I obtained is a very complete one, from eggs, and every stage of young, just hatched and grading up to full-fledged.

Arctic Tern, Sterna macrura. (Kria.)—Very abundant everywhere, and in some parts of the North in vast colonies. I found it far away in the interior—in the Reindeer districts. I made many studies of this bird, but must not touch upon them, as I am occupying far too much space already. I obtained adults, every possible stage of young, and a series of eggs.

Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus. (Svartbakur.)—Very common in the North, and sparingly in the interior. I did not trouble to procure any specimens.

Lesser Black-backed Gull, L. fuscus.—I saw this bird at Thorshavn, in the Færoes, and, in Iceland, one only in Nordfjord. I attached no importance to this, as again I did not know at the time that the bird had not been recorded for Iceland. It need not be suggested that my eyes deceived me, or my ears either, as I carry the Zeiss binoculars. I did not procure any specimens, as my guns were not unpacked.

Glaucous Gull, L. glaucus. (Grámáfur.)—It will strike some as being curious when I say that throughout all my wanderings I met with three specimens only of this bird, and they were immature. It is a bird not to be mistaken.

Kittiwake Gull, Rissa tridactyla. (Rita.)—Very abundant—in some places in vast numbers. As my series of this bird at home was complete, I did not trouble to procure many specimens. I brought