GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 435 



ardson and others on all the lakes of the interior of the 

 fur-countries of North America, and is said to breed as 

 far north as the latitude of 70, going southward for the 

 winter season, and is well known and described by the 

 ornithologists of the United States. Its flesh is dark, tough, 

 and unpalatable. 



The Northern Diver, in its adult state, is a rare bird in 

 Germany, France, or Switzerland. M. Savi says that one 

 only, and that a young bird, had been taken in Italy in his 

 knowledge. Mr. Gould states that it has been found as 

 far south as latitude 36. Young birds migrate further 

 than old ones. 



The bird in its fully adult plumage has the beak black ; 

 the irides red ; head, cheeks, and back of the neck black, 

 the first with some tints of green and blue ; the back also 

 black, but most of the feathers ornamented with spots of 

 white upon the black, those on the back with small square- 

 shaped spots, the scapulars and tertials with larger white 

 spots, which are also square, one on each side the shaft of 

 the feather, forming transverse lines, the tertials also end- 

 ing in white ; on the wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts, the white spots are small; primaries and tail- 

 feathers uniformly black without spots ; chin, and neck in 

 front black, varied with two collars of white, spotted with 

 black ; from these marks this species is sometimes called 

 the Ring-necked Diver ; lower part of the neck in front 

 white, with short longitudinal stripes of black, upon white 

 on the sides ; breast and under surface of the body white ; 

 sides under the wing and the flanks greyish-white ; legs, 

 toes, and their membranes nearly black. The whole length 

 is from thirty to thirty- three inches. From the carpal joint 

 to the end of the wing thirteen inches and three-quarters 

 to fourteen inches. Females are smaller than males. 



A young male, nearly full grown, killed in the winter, 



F F 2 



