7IO GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 



sea-board of Europe, while it also visits the Mediterranean and 

 Black Seas, and immature birds are often found on inland waters. 

 It is well known in the Faeroes and Norway from autumn to spring, 

 but it seldom goes far up the Baltic ; and in the Arctic portions of 

 Russia and Siberia its representative appears to be C. adamsi, the 

 next species. The Great Northern Diver is, in fact, a western 

 species, and its eastern breeding-limit appears to be in Iceland, 

 where a pair or two are found on nearly every lake ; it also nests 

 plentifully in the southern districts of Greenland and up to about 

 70° N. on both sides ; while in North America, where it is known 

 as the Loon, it is found in summer throughout the Fur countries 

 below the Arctic circle, and down to Maine. At Great Slave Lake 

 it meets with C, adamsi \ in winter it ranges southward to California 

 and Mexico. 



The nest — always near fresh water, and placed on an islet holm 

 or the margin of a lake — is usually composed of flattened herbage 

 and moss. The eggs, which are normally 2 in number, are usually 

 laid in the second half of June, and occasionally on the bare 

 ground ; they are olive-brown in colour, with a few darker spots, and 

 measure 3 '5 by 2*5 in. A distinct track is often made by the bird, 

 on its sliding and floundering progress to and from the water, and 

 safety is usually sought by diving rather than by taking wing. The 

 food consists of crabs, and largely of fish ; and a Diver has been 

 captured in the meshes of a trammel-net 30 fathoms below the sur- 

 face of the sea. The cry — frequently uttered by night — has been 

 described as a weird and melancholy howl, and at other times as a 

 rather pleasant trumpeting, while a low croak is also emitted. 



The adult has the bill black ; irides crimson ; head and neck 

 black, glossed with purple on the upper throat and with green on 

 the lower neck ; about 1 2 white streaks on the upper throat-band 

 and 1 8 on the lower ; mantle black with white spots, those on the 

 scapulars being as broad as they are long ; belly chiefly white. 

 Length 30-32 in., wing 13-14 in. ; males being decidedly larger 

 than females and often weighing upwards of 8 lbs. here, while 

 reaching 15 lbs. in America. In autumn the black throat-bands are 

 lost for a time. The young bird has the feathers of the upper-parts 

 greyish-black, with paler margins : under surface dull white ; bill 

 brownish horn-colour. 



