THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 183 



Unlike the Red-throated Diver, which is chiefly 

 observed in spring and autumn, the Great Northern 

 Diver passes the winter with us. Dr. Parker ob- 

 served a Great Northern Diver on Wast water, in 

 October, 1878, and remarks that the bird still 

 haunted the lake in the following January. In 

 1791, a Great Northern Diver was captured, ex- 

 hausted, near Keswick (Dr. Heysham), in the un- 

 usual month of July. Others have since occurred, 

 at a considerable distance from the sea. Thus, " in 

 the winter of 1833 a large bird made its appearance 

 on Talkin tarn. People flocked to see this astonish- 

 ing bird, but no one could make out what it could 

 be. All the sporting men were allowed to carry 

 guns to shoot it if possible. However, it was a 

 shy, wary bird, and a very dexterous swimmer and 

 a more dexterous diver, so that all the efforts to get 

 it proved uneffectual, although it was chased with 

 boats and watched at every corner. Many pounds 

 of powder and shot were fired at it to no j^urpose, 

 for it still swam on with all the majesty of its 

 species. I cannot remember that it was ever com- 

 pelled to take wing, but the moment a shot was 

 fired it was under water, and dived an astonishing 

 distance before it re-appeared. It would not allow 

 any of the Duck tribe to stop on the tarn, but 

 chased them about until they were obliged to leave. 

 The following spring it disappeared, and was not 

 seen until the autumn, when it was watched with 

 as much anxiety as ever. A party from Brampton, 

 mustering several gutis, determined to have another 

 try to shoot it, and, getting the boat in full sail, they 



