The Diver."] OF ORKNEY. 113 



worth while to remark anent the provincial names of birds, 

 every large swimming bird is called goose, with some other 

 distinguishing epithet, thus, ember-goose for the great-diver, 

 dunter-goose for the eider-duck, rain-goose for the above, &c. 



The male and female of this species are constant compa- 

 nions. I have observed this whole season a couple of them 

 which build in Hoy, and have made the harbour of Stromness 

 their haunt, to come every night thither about six or seven 

 o'clock, seldom sooner or later, and immediately betake them- 

 selves to fishing for about an hour, when they withdraw to the 

 same place they came from. These birds have a vast liking 

 to one another ; if one is shot, the other may be seen hover- 

 ing about the place for some days, and, often venturing too 

 near in its search, shares the same fate. It is then very piti- 

 ful to consider the wistful looks the survivor casts around it, 

 to see for its faithful mate, and with what anxiety it swims 

 round and round, still keeping its eye on the place where it 

 was taken on shore ; but this is in some measure to be observ- 

 ed in others of the swimming birds in breeding-time, though 

 not so much as in this ; however, I have observed a male 

 goosander, when the female was shot, continue a long while 

 near the same place, probably still expecting his mate. 



This is a very beautiful bird ; the male has his head adorned 

 with fine stripes of dusky and white, which run down his neck 

 alternately ; the back a dusky gray ; the wings spotted with 

 white, these are small, sharp, and placed far back on the body; 

 the throat reddish ; the belly white ; the feet placed far back ; 

 the legs thin like the back of a knife, good for nothing at land, 



p 



