Frederick Coburn

“ Scrambling down on to a narrow ledge, where there was only just room to stand, my faithful guide following and approaching as near as he could, with outstretched hands to receive me in case I was overbalanced by the recoil of the gun, I shouldered the ponderous 4-bore, and, to my delight, killed four birds at one shot—two adults and two young covered with yellow down. I recovered the two adults, but, alas! the two young, which I should have prized most, toppled over the cliffs, and fell a tremendous depth below, by the side of the falls. ”

“ There need be no doubt whatever that my specimen is the Long-billed Carr-lag Goose (Anser paludosus) , first described by Strickland in 1858 before the meeting of the British Association at Leeds; and that Strickland was perfectly justified in describing the bird as a distinct species, there can be no shadow of doubt. It is much to be regretted that his observations did not receive more consideration at the time, as it is this neglect which has led to the bird being almost totally overlooked and forgotten for nearly fifty years. ”

“ For their portraits to be taken the birds were placed opposite each other on exactly the same level, so that a glance will show the extraordinary disproportion in the length of neck in each bird; at the same time the difference in shape and the remarkable colouration of bill in paludosus are apparent. I feel sure that no one who may critically examine these figures will fail to be convinced that the birds are of totally distinct species. A question which may have to be discussed in the future will be, whether the bird should not be placed nearer to Anser cygnoides than A. segetum. ”

“ The breeding haunts are amongst some of the wildest and most romantic spots in Iceland. I had some narrow escapes from drowning in trying to recover downy young which I had shot. The female is a noble duck in the defence of her young. I obtained adult male in breeding dress, and in the rare eclipse stage—hitherto unknown; adult females, a good series of downy young, eggs, and down.
Eider-Duck, Somateria mollissima. (Ædur.) —Simply swarming everywhere along the North coast. A strictly protected bird. I got adult male and female, a good series of downy young, nest, eggs, and down. ”

“ I believe that this similarity in the winter plumages of the two species—the stage most readily procurable by collectors—and the fact that there is no full, or in any way complete description published of the immature, or breeding stages, has led to much confusion, and caused the bird not only to be overlooked as a British species, but its specific validity to be doubted.
Because large-billed specimens have been procured in Great Britain, it has been concluded that they must belong to A. albifrons, and therefore that this bird has sometimes a bill quite as large as A. gambeli. ”

“ On the under parts there is a moulted black feather here and there, drab ones with the black colouring being thrown into them, and a few with the darker drab of the first plumage not all extracted. There is no trace of this bird ever having been a "speckle-belly." On the head and neck there is more of a slaty tinge. The mantle and outer wing-coverts are much darker. There is a broad space of white at the base of the bill, which also extends low down under the throat; but there may be a tendency to albinism in this bird, as there are a few white feathers scattered on the neck ”

“ The general appearance of this bird's first plumage is a very dark blackish brown; but compare this first plumage with the black-breasted breeding stage, and it is easy to see that this young bird belongs to a parent who finds black under parts useful to it as a protective colouring during the breeding season. As the same conditions of environment prevail when the young bird has got his first feathers to those of the breeding period, it is equally necessary for the young to be darkly clad. ”

“ It was in and out amongst these channels that the native had to guide our horses with the utmost caution, and in a bewildering manner, giving the strictest instructions not to diverge a single foot from the track of his leading horse. Eventually he brought us on to the top of the cliffs. From here, to the point of bifurcation of the river, the land forms a great and long triangular-shaped island, clothed with the richest of vegetation. In the middle of this island there is a great space covered with black sand, and strewn with masses of black lava. ”

“ As no complete description of this species has ever been published, so far as I can discover, I here append one:—
As before stated, the bird is of very large size, equalling a fine Grey-lag. The general tone of colouration of plumage resembles that of the Bean-Goose, but is much bolder and decisive-looking. The head is blackish umber from sides of bill, fading into a dark drabish umber for rest of head and upper neck; at base of bill the faintest possible trace of white, curiously exaggerated by the camera in figure (p. 445) ; the middle and lower neck has a distinct rusty brown tinge. ”

“ There is one fact which all must admit, which is that of late years some birds are changing their lines of migration; further, that, in many instances, those birds breeding in the far north do not all take one line of migration for their winter quarters, but some go east, others come west. Take for instance the case of the Snow and Lapland Buntings; great flocks of both these species make for the American Continent, whilst other flocks come to us. What one species of bird will do, others will also ”

“ In the very first couple of these birds I shot—they were the first I had ever handled—I noticed a peculiarity of structure which I had never seen in any duck before, and one which would certainly instantly distinguish between the female or young male and our bird; it is also present in the downy young. ”

“ After more mature study, however, and the examination of various stages of the young of our bird during the present season of 1901, I think it best not to further discuss the question until I have paid another visit to Iceland to satisfy myself that the more important characters are permanent. I obtained adult male and female, various stages of the young, and nest with five young just hatched. ”

“ The white front to the head is of the highest value to the bird for protective purposes, as it shines conspicuously, but is comparatively such a small speck, and terminates so abruptly by reason of its black border, and then is so softened down by the red bill that you cannot associate it at first sight with a living creature ”

“ I detested the bird for its bullying propensities, but marvelled at its wonderful powers on the wing. I obtained an abundant series of the dark- and light-breasted ones, and every intermediate stage. These are not two forms; I believe it will be found that the white-breasted birds are simply completely adult, and that the bird needs several years to reach that stage. Young birds may mate with adults, and young birds may breed, as with some other Gulls. ”

“ Here we have a bird whose parents do not require entirely black under parts for the breeding period! The whole of the under parts, from the breast to the abdomen, are a pale stone drab fringed with lighter, and becoming almost white towards the abdomen. None of these feathers shows the slightest traces of having had the dark colouring matter in them which is to be found up to the fourth stage in A. gambeli. The flanks are a darker drab with pale margins. ”

“ The scepticism which has for so many years been indulged in with regard to American migrants visiting Great Britain must surely be utterly swept away now by the fact of so many American birds visiting our islands. ”

“ 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. ”

“ I went to several breeding haunts, but had to leave before I had procured eggs, and when I returned was too late for downy young. 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. ”

“ It was constructed entirely of grass-stems, and was placed about a foot from the ground, on the top of a tangled mass of twisted birch-scrub. The only other small birds breeding in this forest were Hornemann's Redpoll and the Redwing-Thrush. The nest did not belong to either of those birds; indeed, it looked like nothing but a Pipit's nest, although in such a singular situation. At this place I found a very intelligent young man, who appeared to take great interest in the birds, and he gave me, through Sigurdur, some very interesting notes about Hornemann's Redpoll. ”

“ In all these four stages the colour of the soft parts is much deeper than in corresponding stages of A. albifrons, being of a distinct deep reddish orange. In some the entire bill is a bright orange scarlet, the nail also being suffused with red while the bird is quite fresh. The brilliancy of colour in the legs and bill appears to increase as the bird nears the breeding stage. Tongue and inside mouth white. ”

“ My series of this bird is a remarkably complete one. Adult males and female in summer stages, and changing to winter; young in every conceivable stage, from just hatched to full-fledged; nest and eggs. I do not consider that the full-fledged young has been properly described. ”

“ The wing-coverts graduate from the slaty drab of the extreme outer ones to the blackish umber of the medians, faintly fringed with paler; the primary coverts are a slaty umber, broadly margined with white. Primaries blackish umber, with white shafts; secondaries almost black with a very delicate hairline margin of drab. The alula and base of primaries slaty drab. Abdomen and under tail-coverts dull white. The legs, toes, and webs a pale chrome-yellow, with a tinge of umber. Bill a dirty whitish yellow with a few streaks of blackish on ridge and side. ”

“ But these occurrences are in no way sufficiently frequent to account for the great and increasing numbers of American birds which are coming to us—especially amongst the Waders. Even Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Carolina Crakes are just as genuine migrants as Snipe-billed Sandpipers, American Bitterns, Spotted Sandpipers, or American White-fronted Wild Geese. ”

“ Although great fields of snow can be seen on the mountains everywhere, the climate in the valleys is mild and delightful; except during rain or fog, when the cold penetrates almost to one's marrow. My health was almost extravagantly good ”

“ I saw some very fine instances of protective mimicry, however, in this bird. I obtained males and females in summer, autumn, and winter plumages, every stage in the growth of the young bird, from just hatched up to nearly full-grown, nest, and eggs. The little chick can fly when about three days old.
Ringed Plover, Ægialitis hiaticula. (Sandlóa.) —Fairly abundant. The first of these birds I saw puzzled me exceedingly, as their upper parts were of a light chocolate colour. I could not procure specimens, as I had not unpacked my guns. ”

“ Instead of the across Atlantic journey, it is more reasonable to assume that these birds come across Greenland—even if they do not breed there—to Iceland, and could then easily continue their journey downward, fringing the narrowest part of the Atlantic to Ireland. If Greenland and Iceland Falcons and so many other northern birds do it regularly, why not the powerful flying Wild Geese? ”

“ The other portions of the bird, from the head to the mantle, have also become much darker, but the outer and greater wing-coverts have become of a paler slate, while the median coverts are darker than in preceding specimens. Length 261⁄2 in.; wing 151⁄2 in.; weight 5 lb. 2 oz.; bill 1·95 in.; tarsus 2·62 in. In the eleventh stage it need only be said that the black has still further intensified, become more glossy, extends entirely over the flanks, the outer feathers of which have broad white margins, and that there is only just a trace of drab left. ”

“ These people are very poor—from our standpoint—and gratefully appreciate the money which some travellers spend with them; while they certainly resent the action of those who take their tents and provisions, and get all they want out of the country, leaving the smallest possible amount of money behind them. ”

“ Rock-Pipit, Anthus obscurus. (No Icelandic name.) —I found this bird in all the Færœ Islands, and took a nest and young from a stone wall at Klaksvig. In Iceland I only once met with it in Vopnafjord, and then attached no importance to it, and did not attempt to procure the specimen, being unaware that it had never been recorded from Iceland. I do not think that I could have been mistaken in a bird with which I am so thoroughly familiar.
Meadow-Pipit, A. pratensis. (Púfutitlingur.) —Common in most districts, and resident. ”

“ Front view of bill.
This is very important indeed, as it indicates that during the breeding season the under parts may become black, a character quite unknown in the Bean-Goose. The upper wing-coverts are a dark bluish slate, gradually becoming rich hair-brown, broadly margined with dull white on the medians and first coverts. Primaries dark seal-brown, the rib white. Secondaries almost black, margined and fringed with dull white. Tertiaries rich seal-brown, very broadly margined with dull white; giving a very conspicuous appearance to the upper parts of the bird. ”