452 THE DIVER. 



(Colymbus cristatus), of whose head we hare given a 

 figure (see page 75). The bird has the power of moving 

 the sort of shawl, or tippet, round its neck, as well as 

 the two tufts or crests on its head, which, when erected, 

 appear like two horns. This species, as well AS some 

 others, such as the Sea-Lark, already mentioned *, when 

 alarmed, carries off its young under the wing. We once 

 saw an old one, basking in the middle of a large sheet 

 of water, with one or two young ones, apparently not 

 long hatched, swimming round her. By the assistance 

 of a telescope, the little downy Divers might be seen, 

 enjoying their new existence; at one moment darting 

 along the surface, and then scrambling on the mother's 

 back, who floated motionless and continued to plume 

 herself, while the brood gambolled about her. One of 

 the largest of this genus, the Great Northern Diver 

 {Colymbus glacialis), may also be called a British bird, 

 though but a rare visitant, preferring the more remote 

 shores of the north, where it passes its existence as far 

 as possible beyond the reach of men ; not, however, that 

 it can escape the snare of the hunter, numbers being 

 taken by the persevering efforts of those who know th e 

 value of their skins, which, when tanned and dressed, 

 make excellent caps and jackets. But although the 

 poor birds cannot avoid falling a prey to their pursuers, 

 they contrive so effectually to seclude themselves from 

 observation, during the breeding-season, that, in the 

 Orkneys, and other northern islands which they fre- 

 quent, the inhabitants really believe that they make no 

 nests at all, but, never leaving the sea, hatch their eggs 

 under water, in a hole beneath the wing, prepared by 

 nature for that purpose, a belief, no doubt, encouraging 

 by their being seen, like our Crested Grebes, taking their 

 young upon their backs, or under their wings, for pro- 

 tection. 



Rare as these birds are, they sometimes, either by 

 choice or stress of weather, wander from their dreary 



* See page 359. 



