making very great progress during it
light and handy boat upon Loch Awe.
often foiled by its reta
seemed to have dived ; its progress,
It lives upon fish, aquatic insects,
is highly prized by the Esquimaux and Indians
and made into garments.

«© When in Sutherlandshire, we found this
noticed was at the foot of Loch Shin, where we wer

 

ring on its former trac

female was in the act of incubation,

 

plumage she precisely resembled the male,

 

Our pursuit

time, as it was impossible toc

as we experienced when in chase of this bird in a

 

s submarine flight,
Our utmost exertion could never bring us within range ; and we were

k and reappearing in a direction contrary to that in which it
we should think, could not have been much under the rate of eight
and such other food as it procures under water. Its skin
for its warmth and beauty, and numbers of them are dressed

species upon most of the lochs of the interior. The first we
e so fortunate as to find the nest, or rather the two

 

eround of a small islet removed about ten or twelve feet from the water’s edge. The
; sitting horizontally, and not in an upright position, upon the eggs. In
. and when fired at immediately swam or rather dived off to bim
after them was, however, ineffectual, though persevered in for a long

alculate where they were likely to rise after diving. Submersion frequently

arly two minutes at a time, and they generally reappeared at a quarter of a mile’s distance

  
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 

from the spot where they had gone down.
I may mention that a visible track from the water to the eggs was made by the female,
land is effected by shuffling along upon her belly, propelled by ber legs behind.
(Saturday, the 31st of May), Mr. J. Wilson was fortunate enough to find two newly
s in a small creek at Loch Craggie, about two miles and a half from Lairg. After

whose progress upon
On the day following
hatched young one
handling and examining
the same spot, knowing that we were anxious to obtain the old birds. Aceordingly on the Monday morning

we had the boat conveyed to the loch, and on our arrival soon descried the two old birds attended by
their young, and apparently moving to a different part of the loch. Contrary to their usual habit at
other times, they did not attempt to dive upon our approach, but kept swimming around their young,

 

In no instance have I ever seen them attempt to escape by

them, during which the old birds approached very near to him, he left them in

 

which, from their tender age, were unable to make much way in the water; and we got sufficiently near te
shoot both of them through the neck and head, the only parts accessible to shot, as they swim with the

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 

whole body nearly submerged. The female could only be distinguished from the male by a slight inferiority
of size, and both were in the finest adult or summer plumage. We afterwards saw several pairs upon
various lochs, and upon Loch Kay, a pair, attended by two young ones nearly half grown. When swimming,
they are in the constant habit of dipping the bill in the water, with a graceful motion of the head and neck.”

The eggs, according to Mr. Yarrell, measure two inches and three-quarters in length by one inch and
ten lines in breadth, and are of a dark olive-brown, thinly spotted with dark umber-brown.

During a visit to Norway in the early part of the month of July 1856, [ saw several Black-throated
Divers sporting about in the Bay of Drontheim, and I could not help admiring the pretty markings
of their necks, and their quiet demeanour as they circled round each other on the then glassy surface of the
These birds, which were within a quarter of a mile of the town, appeared happy and contented, no
molestation being offered them. The Norwegians have an idea that the bird is a most excellent weather-
The Swedes dress its skin, which, like those of all the other members of the genus,

 

 

 

 

 

 

is exceedingly tough, and use it for gun-cases, facings for winter caps, &c. Richard Dann, Hsq.,
informed Mr. Yarrell that ‘this beautiful Diver is widely and numerously dispersed over the whole of

 

 

 

Scandinavia during the summer months, but is most abundant in the northern parts. It breeds im the
interior of the country, on small islands in the most secluded and retired lakes. In Lapland and the Dofre
Fiell mountains it is found as high as the birch-tree grows. It makes its first appearance in the spring,
with the breaking-up of the ice on the lakes. Within twelve hours of open water being seen, this bird
never fails to show itself. The eggs, two in number, have a rank fishy taste, but are much sought after by
the Laps. After the young are hatched, both male and female are very assiduous in bringing them food,
and at that period are much on the wing, and may be seen flying at a vast height, with fish in their beaks,

 

 

 

 

io one lake to another ; on arriving over the lake where they intend to alight, they descend very suddenly
in an oblique direction. The cries of the Diver are very peculiar during the breeding-season, and may be

heard at a ere: istane T ee eo ae go : :
dat a great distance. The bird is very quick-sighted, and very difficult of approach ; it takes wing

 

 
 
 
 
 
   

with great reluctance, but dives incessantly, taking care to come up far out of shot.”
The late represents the bird in its nuptial dress, about one-fifth less than its natural size, and reduced
fizures, in the same state, in the distance.