COLYMBID^— DIVERS. 273 



Order PYGOPODES. 



Family COLYMBID^. 



Great Northern Diver : Colymbus glacialis. Locall)', 

 " Sprat-Loon." 



A fairly-common visitor to tlie Essex coast from autumn to 

 spring. 



Dr. Bree writes (23. 9629) : " This bird, which, in common with the other 

 divers, is termed by the fishermen the ' Sprat-loon,' is very common on the Colne 

 during winter." Mr, Hope observes that, although it is frequent in winter, he 

 has never seen one in Essex in summer plumage. 



Black-throated Diver : Colymbus arcticus. 



A somewhat rare visitor to the Essex coast during winter, when 

 individuals are occasionally found in an exhausted condition at 

 places far inland, after high winds or storms. 



Henry Doubleday, in March, 1840, mentions (10) a pair of adults " shot near 

 Sudbury in nearly full nuptial plumage." Newman records one at Purfleet on 

 Jan. 2ist, 1850, (23. 2760), and Morris one at Chesterford about the middle of 

 the same month (27a. vi. 10). Dr. Bree says (29. Nov. 20) : 



" A fine specimen * * « in summer dress (with incipient signs of moulting) 

 was shot at Oakley, the first week in November [1875]. * * _* During the six- 

 teen or seventeen years I have lived in this neighbourhood [Colchester], I have 

 never before seen a specimen of this bird in summer plumage captured in the 

 county." 



Mr. A. H. Smee shot an immature male at Leigh on Jan. 26th, 1870 (34. 2107). 

 A fine male was shot on the Black water, near Maldon, during the last week of 

 Dec, 1875 (29. Jan. 8, 1876). At Harwich, it is rare, but a male and female were 

 shot in the Harbour on Dec. 20th, 1876 (Kerry — 34.4827). Another, showing 

 some black feathers. on the throat, was killed there on Dec. gth, 1889 (/</.), On 

 the morning of Dec. 4th, 1876, during a very extraordinary flooding, a man in my 

 father's employ observed a large bird swimming on the flood in a meadow close 

 to Pengy Mill Farm, Chignal St. James. On approaching and finding that it 

 did not seem inclined to fly, the man set his dog upon it, and after about twenty 

 minutes, managed to kill it. During this time it never once attempted to fly, 

 but dived frequently. It weighed 3 lb. 10 oz., and appeared to be adult (44. 

 iv. Ixxv.). Mr, Arthur Lister believes he saw one en Wanstead Park Water 

 in 1881 (44. iv. Ixxvi.). Mr. Travis records (44. i. Ixiii.) that in Nov., 18S0, he 

 received for preservation two examples shot at Southend. 



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