RED-THROATED DIVER. 273 



summer plumage, were procured. Again, in October, 

 1865, when between the 5th and 16th of that month 

 several others in a like state of plumage were obtained ; 

 the years 1867 and 1868 also appear to have produced 

 an unusual number of these birds. On 1st October, 

 1880, an extraordinary migration of red-throated divers 

 was witnessed off Cley by the Messrs. Power ; the divers 

 were a quarter of a mile from the shore, and were going 

 south-east, following the trend of the shore, in an almost 

 constant stream for nearly four hours. (" Trans. Norfolk 

 and Norwich Nat. Soc," iii., p. 349). Only one was 

 obtained, and that had a perfect red-throat. In Mr. 

 Dowell's notes he states that on the 5th October, 1846, 

 he saw the first "mag lowan" {i.e., "large loon," a name 

 by which all three divers appear to have been known 

 at that time on the Blakeney coast), which had entered 

 Blakeney harbour that year, and continues: "These 

 birds are common there all through the winter, six or 

 seven pairs frequenting the harbour. Killed a male in 

 full summer plumage at Blakeney, on April 15th, 1 848 ; 

 Overton saw another a few days afterwards. A ^mag' 

 in the harbour, April 7th to 14th, 1849, had assumed 

 full dress. October 23rd, 1851 ; shot two in the har- 

 bour, one in summer plumage, the other just lost it, i.e., 

 with the white feathers predominating over the red. 

 SeiDtember 25th, 1863, bought a red-throated diver 

 in summer plumage, with the red mark well developed, 

 at Hunstanton, of a boy who had caught it alive on 

 the beach." Mr. Booth states that " the summer 

 plumage is occasionally retained till late in the year. 

 During the last week in October, 1872, while steaming 

 with the herring fleet outside the Cross Sands, off Yar- 

 mouth, I noticed some hundreds of red-throated divers ; 

 many were in full, though the majority showed inter- 

 mediate, plumage, their necks being much speckled with 

 white. The whole of the birds were collected within a 

 short distance of the herring-boats, evidently attracted 

 to the spot by the abundance of fish." (" Rough Notes," 

 p. 111). "Before these birds dive," says Mr. Do well, 

 " they may be observed to sink about half an inch lower 

 in the water, so that a person who knows this habit 

 may always tell the moment before a bird of the kind 

 2 m 



