RED-THROATED DIVER. 447 



quick way at sea ; flies well, and commonly very high ; 



makes a vast howling, and sometimes croaking, noise, 



which our country-folks say prognosticates rain, whence 



its name with us of the Rain-goose." Mr. Salmon, who 



visited Orkney with his brother in the summer of 1831, 



for the purpose of collecting the eggs of the different birds 



that resort there annually to incubate, mentions that " A 



few pairs of the Red-throated Diver annually breed on the 



margins of the small lochs that are to be found amid the 



hills in the island of Hoy. Although we visited every 



loch in the island, we were not fortunate enough to meet 



with its egg; and are indebted to the son of the Rev. 



Mr. Hamilton, who very kindly presented us with a 



specimen that he had taken from a nest the preceding 



summer. He informed us, at the same time, that they 



were becoming very scarce ; and although he had, at 



different times, found their eggs, he never saw two in one 



nest, which is always placed close to the water's edge, and 



composed merely of a few loose rushes and dried grass 



that may happen to be near, without any down or feathers 



whatever." Mr. Robert Dunn finds this species, as Dr. 



Fleming had previously observed, breeding in Shetland, 



and in reference to their habits says, " On the banks of 



the lakes they lay their eggs close to the water's edge, so 



close, indeed, that the bird can touch the water with its 



bill while sitting on its eggs ; perhaps these birds have the 



power of removing their eggs from their proximity to the 



water ; for were it to be swollen only two or three inches 



in height, the eggs would be destroyed. I have taken their 



eggs several times, and invariably found them not more 



than two or three inches from the water's edge. The 



female lays two eggs, which in general are deposited 



amongst a few loose stones. The birds are remarkably 



shy, particularly during the breeding-season, and if any 



