408 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



The following table may be useful for identifying- these 

 birds when shot in winter : — 



Grebes. Weight. Iris. Colour of beak (winter). 



Great Crested 32 oz. Red Pink, dusky at tip. 



Red-necked 19,, Yellow Base yellow, rest black. 



Slavonian 12 ,, Crimson Pink base, black band, white tip. 



•c. , .. n • „ „ f Black; base of under mandible 



Eared " » Cnmson J pink; tip up-tilted. 



Dabchick 6 ,, Brown Base yellow, tip horn. 



The little Dabchick never appears on salt water, 

 though it frequents the backwaters of Tweed and other 

 Border rivers in winter ; as well as the lochs both of 

 Northumberland and of the Scottish side. 



Divers. — Of the three species the red-throated 

 is so well-known a coast-bird as to require no further 

 remark than that on March 26th, 1881, I obtained a 

 specially fine example in summer-dress, with full red 

 throat. This bird I gave to Mr Hancock. 



Of the other two, the black-throated is quite the most 

 scarce, and rarely met with. I shot one at sea, January 

 22nd, 1880 — a male, weight 5 lbs., length 27 inches, 

 expanse 42 h inches ; a second, shot subsequently, weighed 

 8| lbs. Its winter plumage of marbled grey and slate- 

 blue closely approximates to that of the northern diver, 

 these two being- nearly related. The black-throat, how- 

 ever, is a strong flyer, always ready to take wing on 

 the approach of danger, which the northern diver never 

 does. The latter, of course, can and does fly well during 

 the breeding--season or when migrating : in March I have 

 seen a pair (recognised by their note) passing northwards, 

 high and at great speed. 



I found the black-throated diver nesting in Norway, 

 eggs being laid by June 19th; but it breeds a month 



