BLACK-THROATED DIVER. 191 



THE BLACK-THROATED DIVER, COLYMBUS ARCTI- 

 cus. Colymbu* arcticus. Linn. Plongeon lumme^ 

 ou ci gorge noir^ Temm. Black-throated Diver of 

 British authors. Lesser Imber, Bewick (the young). 

 On the English shores, Mr. Yarrell states that 

 of our three Divers this is the most rare, and he 

 gives a record of several of the specimens which 

 have been killed south of the Tweed. In the whole 

 of the southern half of Scotland the same may be 

 observed; during winter, specimens maybe occa- 

 sionally procured in immature plumage, and we 

 have seen from three to four in a day when boating 

 in the Firth of Forth ; northward they become more 

 common, but in all the districts where we have any 

 account of the species, either in this country or 

 abroad, it does not seem to occur anywhere in such 

 numbers as the last described. In the lochs, beyond 

 the middle part of Scotland, a few resort to breed ; 

 Loch Awe is the most southerly upon which we 

 have observed them. In Sutherlandshire, where 

 the country is very thickly studded with lochs of 

 various extent, a pair was seen in many of those of 

 moderate bounds; in one or two instances, two 

 pairs were noticed ; these bred on the small islands 

 or upon the banks, placing their scanty nest a few 

 yards from the edge of the water in a hollow formed 

 by the bird, and composed only of a few straws of 

 herbage gathered around; we discovered one nest on 

 a small bare islet on Loch Shin, and landing on 

 the opposite side, approached, and could perceive 



