164 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



FAMILY COLYMBID^S. 



/ T A HE Divers (Colymbidcej consist of four species and one subspecies, confined 

 JL to the northern parts of the northern hemisphere, and found in the New 

 and Old Worlds. In these birds the feet are four-toed and palmate. The legs 

 and feet are so placed and formed that the birds cannot stand or proceed in an 

 upright position, but when on land are forced to shuffle along on their breasts. 

 The large webbed feet, and narrow though strong tarsi, enable these birds to 

 swim and dive extremely well. In the Divers the body is long and flattened, the 

 wings short, sharply pointed and strong. The tail is short. The Divers are 

 migratory and chiefly marine in their habits, but they resort to inland lakes in 

 the breeding season. They make a rude nest close to the waters' edge and lay 

 two (? or three) dark coloured eggs, spotted with blackish. The young are hatched 

 covered with down. The sexes are alike in plumage, the young differ some- 

 what from the adults, and the seasonal changes of plumage are considerable. 



Family COL YMBID&. 



THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 



Colymbus glacialis, LlNN. 



THE Northern Diver is a regular visitor to our coasts. Like all the species 

 of this genus it is thoroughly aquatic in its habits, and is rather more 

 attached to salt water than the two other species commonly found in and about 

 the British Islands. For a few months in the breeding season it resorts to the 

 inland lakes, but lives during the rest of the year on the sea. During this season 



