7l6 RED-THROATED DIVER. 



When breeding, this bird frequents more desolate spots than the 

 Black-throated Diver, and generally prefers the margins of small 

 tarns or even pools — often at a considerable elevation — to islands 

 in a large loch. Sometimes there is a slight nest-border of heather or 

 bents, but usually the 2 eggs are laid on the trodden-down turf or 

 weeds, and so close to the water's edge that they are often moist 

 underneath ; their colour is olive-brown, spotted with umber : 

 measurements 275 by I'Sin. In Scotland they may be found 

 fresh from the middle of INIay to a month later, while more than 

 one pair of birds seldom inhabit the same piece of water ; but on 

 the Porsanger Fjord in West Finmark Prof Collett discovered fifteen 

 nests in half an hour, and also found that the male shared the duties 

 of incubation. The sitting bird lies flat down on the eggs, and, when 

 disturbed, glides into the water, and at first swims very low ; then, 

 bending the head and neck forward, it disappears with a gentle 

 plunge which hardly leaves a ripple ; but I have noticed that if my 

 stay near the nest was prolonged, the bird would swim high, snap- 

 ping the mandibles and turning the head with a jerky action, while 

 occasionally stopping to drink. Mr. Henry Evans informs me that 

 at times this Diver rises from a lake in the hills, and after ascending 

 to a" great height, rushes down to the sea at a speed which produces 

 a sound "like blowing-off steam," the descent terminating in a glide 

 just before the water is reached. Mr. Caton Haigh says that this 

 bird can sit, and even walk, in a fairly upright position. The note 

 is a harsh kark, kark, kakera, and is supposed to foretell wet or 

 stormy weather ; for which reason the bird is widely known as 

 the " Rain-goose." The food consists chiefly of fish, which is often 

 procured in sammer in open waters, at some distance from the 

 breeding-place. 



The adult male in March has the crown and nape slate-grey, 

 streaked with white ; sides of the head and neck paler grey ; a long, 

 triangular patch of vinaceous chestnut down the middle of the fore- 

 neck : upper surface chiefly ash-brown : under-parts white, with 

 greyish-black spots on the flanks. Length 24 in., wing 11 "2 in.; 

 females being smaller. After the autumn-moult the red on the 

 throat is lost for a short time, and the upper plumage is spotted 

 and streaked with white. In the young bird the feathers are edged, 

 rather than spotted, with white. 



