RED-THROATED DIVER. 189 



they are by no means common, and we have only 

 once or twice met with the birds apparently breed- 

 ing, though we were never able to discover the nest, 

 which is described as placed near to the water's 

 edge, without much formation. This species is often 

 taken in nets when diving after fish, and we once 

 procured a specimen caught upon a newly tarred 

 buoy, to which it had approached too near and was 

 unable to extricate itself. There must be a large 

 winter migration from the south, the numbers that 

 breed on the main land and northern isles bearing no 

 proportion whatever to those that frequent our coast 

 in winter. In Northern Europe it seems to be ex- 

 tremely abundant, breeding as in this country ; and 

 both Mr. Dann and Mr. Procter write of seeing 

 flocks of twenty and thirty old birds together, which 

 they considered were males, the females being at 

 the time occupied in incubation. In Central and 

 Temperate Europe it frequents the shores during 

 winter. As before remarked, Audubon has stated 

 that this bird requires four years to attain mature 

 plumage ; this may account comparatively for the 

 numbers of birds without the red throat ; but these 

 must all follow the older birds northward in spring, 

 for on the coasts of Scotland at least, few are to 

 be seen in this state after the month of April. Out 

 of Europe the Red- throated Diver is found in North 

 America, appearing on the coasts of the United 

 States during winter and spring, and retiring west- 

 ward to breed. Audubon found the nests in La- 

 brador in June, on the banks of the fresh-water 

 lakes, the nest being composed of a few blades of 



