188 RED-THROATED DIVER. 



stated), but they bear no proportion whatever to 

 those which occur without it. Mr. Dann, writing 

 to Mr. Yarrell, says, " The red neck disappears in 

 the winter, a darker hue only marking the space 

 occupied by the red." Audubon considers, that they 

 are four years in attaining the complete plumage, 

 but at the same time thinks that afterwards very 

 little change takes place, having killed them in De- 

 cember, January, and February, with the red throat, 

 &c. perfect. 



We have no record of the Red-throated Diver 

 breeding in England, nevertheless it is tolerably 

 common around the coasts, entering the estuaries and 

 mouths of rivers after the shoals of sprats, &c., 

 and is frequent on the broads of Norfolk ; although 

 writers have not stated it, we consider that their 

 occurrence in the localities mentioned is principally 

 during winter ; Mr. Yarrell remarks that it is very 

 commonly exposed for sale in the London markets 

 at that season. Along all the Scottish coasts it is 

 also at this time common, sometimes coming inland 

 to such lochs as are not frozen, and occasionally 

 ascending rivers; we have shot specimens in the 

 Annan fifteen miles from the sea. Mr. Thompson 

 also records it visiting the shores of Ireland at the 

 same season, but we have no notice of its breeding 

 there, though some of the wilder districts would 

 seem suited for it. Its British breeding stations are 

 chiefly Orkney and Shetland, by the margins of the 

 fresh- water lochs; on the main land a few pairs 

 may frequent some of the lochs and incubate, but 



