THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER 353 



the upper plumage is black, as are also the head, 

 neck, and throat ; the under parts white ; a white 

 spot over the eyes ; the ends of the secondary 

 and sides of the scapular feathers are edged 

 with white, giving the appearance of a white bar 

 across the wings. In winter the chin, throat, and 

 front portion of the neck are white. The little 

 auk is a somewhat diminutive bird, measuring 

 but eight and a half inches in length. 



Of the British diver there are four varieties, 

 viz. : 



1. The great Northern diver. 



2. The red-throated diver. 



3. The black- throated diver. 



4. The white-billed Northern diver. 



The last-named, the white-billed Northern diver, 

 the largest of the four, is rare. 



The great Northern diver, a visitor chiefly 

 from the autumn to the spring, is more frequent 

 on the North-western and Western British coasts. 

 Now and again a stray bird may be met with far 

 inland during very hard winters. A relation of 

 mine shot one about three miles from Oxford 

 some years ago, but, as a rule, the older birds 

 keep well away from the shore. I know no bird 

 which has the appearance of being able to en- 

 counter the force of rough wild water and weather 

 more than this. The very texture of its plumage 

 seems to be specially adapted to withstand the 

 heaviest storms, and its shape, strength, and 

 general bearing are all indicative of its habits. 



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