BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 13 



that it was always in, or near an opening in the lakes where 

 concealment in approaching near enough to secure it was 

 impossible. My hope of finding some venturesome individual 

 occupying such an opening in the MississiiDpi, as the Scoters 

 had done from winter to winter, was never realized, so the good 

 field glass must alone be credited with my observations. From 

 the time of my last date, the opportunity to see them was inter- 

 rupted by several winters absence, and the places in which I 

 had made my previous observations had come to be encroached 

 upon by approximate settlements to such an extent as to drive 

 them elsewhere I suppose. I am satisfied that they have been 

 seen by others who supposed them to be individuals of another 

 species, namely the Red- throated Divers. 



The only mounted specimen that I have ever seen under cir- 

 cumstances to make me believe that it had been obtained within 

 my province of observations could not be vouched for as having 

 been gotten in it, and I have therefore waited some good for- 

 tune to learn more about this rarely seen Loon. 



URINATOR LUMME (Gunner). (11.) 



RED THROATED LOON. 



The Red- throated Loon is a fairly regular winter visitant of 

 our domains, and while lacking the necessary positive proof of 

 its breeding on the shores of Lake Superior within the borders 

 of Minnesota, I have abundant circumstantial reasons for 

 thinking it does. 



It has been seen and, if I may trust the popular descriptions, 

 it has been killed, several times in the vicinity of Duluth by 

 pot hunters in the period of presumptive incubation, yet I have 

 never known of the nests having been seen, and if they have 

 been seen they have not been recognized as other than the 

 common Loons although those of this species are much the 

 smaller of the two. Through exchange, I have come into the 

 possession of what are said to be those of this bird. 



There are very considerable variations in the size of the eggs 

 of the entire genus, and in those of the Red-throats it is from 

 2.60 by 1.70 to 3.00 by 1.90. The color and markings are pre- 

 cicsely like those of the other species. I am informed ihat the 

 nests are even less mechanical in their structure, and, like those 

 of the others, are quite near the water, to which their beaten 

 paths lead from several directions. 



