GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 733 



Thomas Allis, in 1844, wrote : 



Colymbus glaciahs. Great Northern Diver Dr. Farrar, F. O. 

 Morris, and H. Reid all report a splendid specimen which was taken 

 alive in an exhausted state at Cannon Hall, and is in the possession of 

 S. Stanhope, Esq., of that place ; my friend, Bartholomew Smith of 

 Thirsk, informs me that a specimen was taken at Gormire ; it has 

 been obtained in beautiful plumage off Whitby. and I have had a 

 young specimen from near Sutton-on-Derwent. A. Strickland remarks : 

 " The Northern Diver, Black-throated Diver, and Red-throated Diver 

 are all northern birds which are only known on this coast in autumn 

 or winter, when out of mature plumage, but may frequently be met 

 with at those times on various parts of the coast ; the Red-throated 

 or the Speckled Diver is the most frequent, but the Black-throated, 

 which is the least common, seems to be a more inland bird, and in 

 the severe winter of 1830 many were killed, and some toward the 

 spring assuming the mature colours." 



A truly pelagic bird, this fine species is a not uncommon 

 autumn and winter visitant on the coast, appearing sometimes 

 as early as August, though not as a rule until September 

 or October, and remaining until the following spring. In 

 the Humber district, according to the late J. Cordeaux, it 

 is occasionally found in summer, but at the Teesmouth I have 

 only once noted it at that season, viz., in July 1877. In the 

 fall of the year individuals in the immature dress are annually 

 met with, though it is seldom obtained in the adult stage. 



On inland lakes and reservoirs the Great Northern Diver 

 is of rare occurrence, and, in addition to the examples cited 

 by Allis, it has been recorded at Newton Kyme, where the 

 late Rev. J. W. Chaloner saw three on the Wharfe in 1818 

 or 1819 ; one was captured alive in central Ryedale in 1852, 

 and another at Masham " many years ago." It has occurred 

 on the river Hull near Beverley, and on Howden Mere ; at 

 Goole ; at Cold Hiendley Reservoir in December 1875 ; at 

 Banks Hall, near Staincross ; on Blackstone Edge Reservoir ; 

 Slingsby ; Birdforth, near Thirsk, where one was killed on 

 the ice during a storm in January 1887 ; on Fewston Reservoir 

 in 1888 ; near Wakefield in March 1888, and October 1890, 

 on the last occasion a male, in partial summer plumage, being 

 obtained. 



Generally speaking this bird is of solitary habits, but 



