THE DIVER. 105 



wardly, on account of the way in which their legs are 

 placed; they stand nearly upright when on the ground. 

 The length of time they take to attain the full adult 

 plumage has caused them to be given a variety of 

 names, and has led to a confusion of species. The 

 feathers lie very close, and are very silky and lustrous ; 

 underneath the feathers is a thick down, which also 

 lies very much compressed. 



The Northern Diver (Colymbus glacialis) is in 

 general a winter visitor to this island, although a few 

 have been obtained in the summer plumage. It 

 seems probable, therefore, that it occasionally breeds 

 in Orkney and Shetland, although its eggs have never 

 been satisfactorily collected there. It is about 2 

 feet 6 inches long, 5 feet in expanse of wings, and 

 weighs from twelve to fourteen pounds. It is not 

 much less powerful as regards wings and size of body 

 than the larger birds of prey. When migrating, it 

 flies so high as to get beyond the reach of sight. The 

 bill is strong, and above 4 inches in length ; the 

 upper mandible bends slightly down, and the lower, 

 which is hollow and deeper in the middle, bends up. 

 This form of bill is characteristic of the grebes and 

 divers, and enables them the more easily to raise 

 their prey out of the water. In the northern diver 

 the head and neck are black, with two white bands 

 round the neck, marked with small black lines. The 

 whole of the upper part of the bird is ornamented 

 with white marks like snow-flakes, on a black ground. 

 The rump and tail are beautifully marked with black 

 and white ; all the under parts of the mature bird are 

 a beautiful white. The young are brown and gray 



