COLYMBID.. 535 
county of Wilts. My own acquaintance with this 
species has generally been cultivated on the south 
coast of Devon, where it is common during the 
winter, an occasional specimen remaining on till 
quite late in the spring, as I have received a bird 
from there, in full plumage, as late as the 30th of 
May, and I unsuccessfully chased another full- 
plumaged bird at Exmouth as late as the 14th of 
May. On this coast, indeed, I consider both the 
Great Northern and the Redthroated Divers very 
common from about October to May, for in the 
course of a row for a mile or so, or a walk along the 
sea-wall at Teignmouth, one is sure to see several of 
them; but, except the two just mentioned, I have 
never seen a full-plumaged Northern Diver on that 
coast, though I have received specimens, both from 
that and the north coast of Devon, in apparent 
change to winter plumage; but on this subject I 
shall have to say more when I come to the descrip- 
tions of the bird in its various stages. 
This is a very difficult bird to approach or to 
shoot, especially as soon as he finds himself chased : 
the best chance of getting a first shot is to watch the 
bird feeding, and gradually to creep up closer and 
closer, rowing hard whilst he is employed below, and 
keeping quite still as soon as he comes to the sur- 
face: by this means one may get tolerably close 
before the bird begins to suspect danger; but if he 
is not killed then at the first shot a long chase may 
