192 BLACK-THROATED DIVER. 



the bird lying, as it were, on the eggs, but with the 

 head raised, having heard our approach. On per- 

 ceiving us she scuffled along her short trodden path 

 to the water, diving immediately, and rising out of 

 gun-shot, diving again almost instantaneously, and 

 joining the male, which was apparently surveying the 

 scene at a few hundred yards distance. On another 

 loch we succeeded in procuring both the male and fe- 

 male birds, from their being accompanied with their 

 young, which had been hatched on a bare promon- 

 tory near. When unaccompanied with the young, 

 we have never been able to overtake this bird on 

 the water ; it could invariably beat a couple of good 

 rowers, even though kept almost constantly under 

 water by firing at it, and if approached within a 

 moderate distance, its next rise might probably be 

 many hundred yards a-stern, having closed and 

 doubled on the way of the boat. On these occasions 

 the bird never attempted to fly. From the accounts 

 of those persons who have visited Orkney and Shet- 

 land, the Black- throated Diver also breeds there in 

 the fresh-water lochs, though not very abundantly. 

 It occurs also in Ireland, but we have no account of 

 its breeding there. In Middle and Southern Eu- 

 rope it is found occasionally, as upon our own shores, 

 most sparingly to the south, and there the specimens 

 obtained are principally birds in immature plumage. 

 In the north of Europe, Norway, Sweden, Lap- 

 land, and Scandinavia, it breeds among the retired 

 lakes, and, from all our information, is by no means 

 uncommon, appearing with the first break of the ice. 



