RING-NECKED LOON. 287 



and eight-twelfths in length, and of the same breadth ; with 

 the lateral muscles very thick, the upper and lower distinct ; 

 the epithelium dense, rugous, and of a yellowish tint. The 

 intestine is five feet five and a half inches in length, about 

 half an inch in width ; the coeca an inch and a quarter long, 

 and of considerable width ; the rectum five inches and a half 

 long, with the cloacal dilatation two inches in diameter. 



Length to end of tail 32 inches ; extent of wings 52 ; 

 wing from flexure 14|- ; tail 2f ; bill along the ridge 3 ; 

 along the edge of lower mandible 4^ ,• its height at the base 

 •Li- ; tarsus 3^ ; first toe -^, its claw -^ ; second toe 3^, its 

 claw -^ ; third toe 4Jj, its claw -j^ ; fourth toe 4-,^, its 

 claw ^. 



Habits. — The Great Northern Diver is among the most 

 beautiful of those birds which seek their food in the waters of 

 the great deep. It is not with us a very numerous species, 

 and can scarcely be called gi'egarious, although adults some- 

 times, and the young more frequently, form small parties of 

 fi'om two to five. A wanderer on the ocean, it not only fre- 

 quents the margins of the sea, fishing in the bays and estu- 

 aries, but may often be met with many miles from land, 

 although seldom at such distances as the Gulls and other 

 hovering birds. Narrow channels, firths, voes, sea-lochs, and 

 sandy bays, are its favourite places of resort. There it floats, 

 lightly it may be, but apparently deep in the water, its body 

 being so much depressed that little of it seems exposed, com- 

 pared -with what we see of the Black -backed Gull, the one 

 like a deeply-laden ship, scudding steadily along, the other in 

 ballast, Avith scarce a hold on the water, as it mounts the 

 heavily-rolling waves, and again descends into the trough. 

 But though the Gull floats thus lightly, the Diver soon over- 

 takes and shoots far a-head of it. In turning, the Gull has 

 the advantage, for it moves round with ease as on a pivot, 

 while the Diver slowly but steadily and majestically. This, 

 one may say, depends on their comparative length of keel, or 

 rather of hull. 



But, to observe the manner of life of this celebrated 

 fisher, the best plan is for one to conceal himself among the 



