520 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



Cobble, is frequently seen in England in the winter, in bays 

 and inlets, and sometimes in fresh water rivers and lakes. 

 In the river Thames it attends the arrival of the sprats on 

 which it feeds, and is hence knovi^n to the fishermen by the 

 name of the Sprat Loon. From their diving habits they are 

 frequently taken in the fishing nets to which they are 

 attracted by their contents. They fly well, and dive and 

 swim with remarkable dexterity, and while proceeding in the 

 air are said to be sometimes very noisy. At Hudson's Bay 

 the young fly before the end of August, and the whole 

 commence their migrations in the course of September. 

 They are common also to the Baltic and the White Sea, 

 and are found in the inclement regions of eastern Asia, as 

 in Kamtschatka and Siberia. 



The length of the Red-Throated Diver is about 29 inches; 

 the wing 11 inches 3 lines; the bill above 2 inches 2 lines; fi:om 

 the rictus, 3 inches 1 line ; tarsus 3 inches ; middle toe the 

 same length. The head, chin, and sides of the neck, lead-color; 

 centres of the plumage on the top of the head blackish. Front 

 of the neck occupied by a stripe that widens downwards, of rich 

 cochineal or purplish-red. Hind head, back of the neck, shoulders, 

 and sides of the breast, greenish-black, striped on the margins with 

 white. Dorsal plumage and wings pitch-black; narrow space under 

 the wings and under tail coverts also black, with whitish bordera. 

 Under plumage and inner wing coverts white ; the axillary feathers 

 striped on the shafts with blackish-brown. Bill black. Legs black- 

 ish-green. — Adult individuals vary much in length, some being 4 

 inches shorter than the above. Young birds ha-ve the dorsal plumage 

 interspersed with minute marginal spots, there being a pair near 

 the tip of eaqh feather. 



