GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 321 



straight, rather compressed, pointed ; upper mandible the longer of tlie two, 

 edges of both curving inwards. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, perforate and 

 partly closed by a membrane. Legs tiiin, the tarsi compressed, placed very 

 far backwards, and closely attached to the posterior part of the body ; toes 

 three in front, united by membranes, one toe behind, with a small membrane, 

 articulated upon the tarsus ; the claws, or nails flat. Wings short, the first 

 primary quill-feather the longest. Tail short and rounded. 



Of the genus Colymhus there are three British species 

 called Divers, jmr excellence, since they possess this power 

 in a most marked and perfect degree. Of these three, the 

 Northern Diver, frequently called also the Great Northern 

 Diver, is the largest in size, but of the specimens procured 

 young birds are much more common than old matured ex- 

 amples, and even the former are only obtained in winter. 

 Sir Thomas Browne says that in his time the Divers bred on 

 the broads of Norfolk, but this is not the case at the present 

 day, nor is it very certain that the Northern Diver breeds in 

 any part of the British Islands now, even in Orkney or Shet- 

 land ; but what has been ascertained on this subject will be 

 adduced when enumerating the different localities in which 

 it has been found. 



Except during their breeding-season all the Divers live 

 chiefly at sea, where they obtain their living by following, 

 or keeping in the vicinity of shoals of herrings, sprats, and 

 other species of fishes of moderate size, which they catch 

 seemingly with great ease and certainty while diving, re- 

 maining under water a very considerable time without any 

 apparent inconvenience, and have been taken, while thus 

 submerged, by a baited hook. 



Montagu, in the Appendix to the Supplement to his 

 Ornithological Dictionary, says, " A Northern Diver taken 

 alive, was kept in a pond for some months, Avhich gave us 

 an opportunity of attending to its manners. In a few days 

 it became extremely docile, would come at the call from one 

 side of the pond to the other, and would take food from the 



VOL. III. Y 



