LOONS 27 



under any intruding boat which is in the way and finally to 

 appear far away from harm. A pair of Loons and their prog- 

 eny may often be seen in company pursuing their way and 

 keeping up a more or less animated conversation. The 

 appearance of strangers on a pond where the Loons live is 

 often the cause for much vocal exercise among them. Along 

 the coast these birds seem more especially voluble during 

 impending changes in the weather, especially when a storm is 

 approaching, so that when the fishermen hear Loons calling 

 they say, "The Loons are trying to blow up an easterly". The 

 call note is a long drawn maniacal sounding yell; varied by 

 more or less maniacal laughter, ha-ha-ha's, and other voluble 

 calls of similar nature. I have heard the species utter a pecu- 

 liar "ha-ha-ha" when on the wing. They fly well, neck and 

 legs stretched out ahead and behind respectively, but seem to 

 hate to take wing ordinarily, preferring to trust to swimming 

 and diving in case of danger. Their food consists almost 

 entirely of fish. 



9. Gavia arctica (Linn.). Black-throated Loon. 



Plumage in summer adults : above black with iridescent reflections except 

 top of head and nape which are gray or ashy ; throat, sides of neck, back 

 and wings more or less spotted, barred or streaked with white ; breast and 

 belly white. Adult and immatiure winter plumage : similar to the cor- 

 responding plumage of the common Loon, size of individuals smaller. Wing 

 11.00 to 12.00 ; culmen 2.17 ; tarsus 2.60 ; depth of bill at base 0.60. 



Geog. Dist. — Northern part of northern hemisphere, breeding in the far 

 north; in winter occurring rarely east of the Rocky Mountains, though 

 reported southward as far as Ohio and Long Island. 



County Records. — Washington ; a specimen taken at Cutler, Maine, was 

 received by Mr. Newell Eddy in the flesh, December 8, 1881, and is now in 

 Mr. Eddy's collection. Mr. Eddy writes that it is a male bird in winter 

 plumage (Cf. Maine Sportsman, September, 1898, p. 13). This is the speci- 

 men so doubtfully reported in Mr. Smith's List, but whose correct identifica- 

 tion Mr. Eddy has since shown to be unquestionable. 



Occasional stragglers of this species doubtless occur along 

 our coast in winter, in fact though there is no evidence to 

 prove my assertion, there seems every reason to suppose that 



