RED-THROATED DIVER. 737 



numerous, and is never altogether absent from the neighbour- 

 hood of the coast-hne, as a few individuals, probably immature 

 and non-breeding birds, may be observed at sea throughout 

 the spring and summer months. It is a regular and common 

 autumn or winter migrant to the seaboard and estuaries, 

 immature birds arriving in early September and October, 

 sometimes in great numbers ; on 20th September 1883, I 

 saw at least fifty at sea, flying to the south-east in advance 

 of an approaching storm, and during that autumn it was 

 unusually abundant. 



This bird occurs with tolerable frequency on inland waters, 

 and has been reported from the river Hull at Beverley, 

 Scampston Lake, the Derwent at East Cottingwith, Gormire 

 Lake, and Semerwater, the Wharfe at Newton Kyme, Malham 

 Tarn, and the reservoirs and large sheets of water supplying 

 the populous West Riding manufacturing towns. It has 

 also figured in the list of casualties at our coast beacons, an 

 immature female, now in the York Museum, being picked up 

 below the Spurn Lighthouse in October 1900. 



The red gular patch, indicative of the adult bird, is assumed 

 early in spring ; on 28th March 1875, I obtained an example 

 in full nuptial garb, and on ist April 1891, distinctly saw three 

 others near the rocks. This plumage is retained until late in 

 autumn ; specimens have been seen and procured in August, 

 September, and October, whilst in 1887 one with partly red 

 throat was killed as late as 9th November. 



Divers are occasionally taken in the nets of the herring 

 fishermen, and one, captured on a fishing line at Redcar in 

 January 1884, was brought to me alive and uninjured. From 

 personal observation I have found that the Red-throated 

 Diver, when pursuing its prey, remains under water for a length 

 of time varying from forty-five to seventy seconds, and it 

 often approaches very near to the shore ; I have seen one 

 within two yards of where I was standing on the beach. The 

 rapacious appetite of this bird was exemplified in the case 

 of an individual killed at the Teesmouth in December 1901, 

 which disgorged eight sand eels, three of them being eight 

 inches in length, and only two partly digested. 



