ircumstance connected with the eider-ducks is their
tameness during the period of incubation. I had always regarded as myths
the stories told about them in this respect, and should do so still had I
not convinced myself of the truth of these assertions by laying hands
upon the ducks myself. I could go quite up to them and caress them, and
even then they would not often leave their nests. Some few birds,
indeed, did so when I wished to touch them; but they did not fly up, but
contented themselves with coolly walking a few paces away from the nest,
and there sitting quietly down until I had departed. But those which
already had live young, beat out boldly with their wings when I
approached, struck at me with their bills, and allowed themselves to be
taken up bodily rather than leave the nest. They are about the size of
our ducks; their eggs are of a greenish grey, rather larger than hen's
eggs, and taste very well. Altogether they lay about eleven eggs. The
finest down is that with which they line their nests at first; it is of a
dark grey colour. The Icelanders take away this down, and the first nest
of eggs. The poor bird now robs herself once more of a quantity of down
(which is, however, not of so fine a quality as the first), and again
lays eggs. For the second time every thing is taken from her; and not
until she has a third time lined the nest with her down is the eider-duck
left in peace. The down of the second, and that of the third quality
especially, are much lighter than that of the first. I also was
sufficiently cruel to take a few eggs and some down out of several of the
nests. {34}

I did not witness the dangerous operation of collecting this down from
between the clefts of rocks and from unapproachable precipices, where
people are let down, or to which they are drawn up, by ropes, at peril of
their lives. There are, however, none of these break-neck places in the
neighbourhood of Reikjavik.

SALMON FISHERY.

I made another excursion to a very short distance (two miles) from
Reikjavik, in the company of Herr Bernhoft and his daughter, to the
Laxselv (salmon river) to witness the salmon-fishing, which takes place
every week from the middle of June to the middle of August. It is
conducted in a very simple manner. The fish come up the river in the
spawning season; the stream is then dammed up with several walls of stone
loosely piled to the height of some three feet; and the retreat of t