44 



of Europe and America. It breeds in the Hebrides 

 and the extreme north of Scotland. The female 

 makes no nest, but deposits her eggs, which are 

 two in number, upon the bare ground, removed 

 about ten or twelve feet from the water's edge. 

 The eggs measure two inches and three quarters in 

 length, by one inch and a quarter in breadth, and 

 are of a dark olive brown, thinly spotted with dark 

 umber brown. 



DIVER. RED-THKOATED. 

 SPECKLED DIVER. 



COLYMBUS SEPTEXTRIO^ALIS, Lin. 



This is the smallest as well as the most common 

 of the species. The occurrence of specimens with 

 white throats in winter is so frequent, while those 

 with red throats at the same time of the year are 

 so rare, that Naturalists have been led to the sup- 

 position of their being two distinct species. From 

 October to April the Eed-throated Diver is met 

 with from one end of Great Britain to the other, in 

 estuaries, and along the coast from the British 

 Channel to Cape Wrath. In summer many pairs 

 breed in the northern parts of Scotland and in the 

 Hebrides. The habits of this bird are very similar 

 to those of the other two species, but it is more 

 active in the water. In the bulky and rude nest 



