THE GUILLEMOTS AND PUFFINS. 289 



lakes and rivers, is the smallest and commonest of the 

 genus, and its habits give a correct notion of those 

 of the other species. The true Divers (Colymbi) most 

 strongly exhibit the habits of the family. Of these the 

 Great Northern Diver (Colymbus glaeialis) is the largest, 

 and, when fully grown, the handsomest; the upper part 

 of the body being dark, elegantly spotted with trans- 

 verse rows of white spots ; the lower surface white ; the 

 head and neck black, with greenish tints, and two ring- 

 like collars of mottled feathers. It is " a most expert 

 and indefatigable diver, and remains down sometimes 

 for several minutes, often swimming under water, and 

 as it were flying with the velocity of an arrow through 

 the air." It feeds on small fish, the shoals of which it 

 follows along the coast, and captures its prey by diving 

 after it. In the breeding-season these birds pass in- 

 land, and build their simple nest in some retired spot, 

 on the borders of a lake or inlet. They are very shy 

 at all times, and particularly at this season. 



The family of Alcadce, consisting of Guillemots, Auks, 

 Kazor-bills, and Puffins, contains several species that 

 pass their lives in swimming and diving after fish, or 

 in sitting perched on rocks in retired places of the 

 coast. All these are birds of social habits, and con- 

 gregate in vast flocks on the rocky islets and headlands 

 of our northern and western coasts, where the pursuit 

 of this game, either for the capture of the birds or 

 their eggs, is conducted with the appliances more of 

 savage than civilized life the fowlers being suspended 

 in mid-air by slender ropes from the cliff. In the form 

 of the body these birds are very similar to the Divers ; 



