GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 265 



position he stuffed one. This habit of disposing of one 

 foot is common to all the grebes, but it seems difficult to 

 conceive how the bird could maintain its balance on the 

 water with both feet in such a position. 



The young dabchick shows the stripes on the side of 

 the head even when it is full grown, and a Norfolk killed 

 specimen in that stage of plumage is in the collection of 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., at Keswick. 



COLYMBUS GLACIALIS, Linnams. 

 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 



Mr. Stevenson, writing in 1863, expressed his belief 

 that this species "is decidedly the most rare, in any 

 plumage, of our three British divers," adding that he 

 had known of only four or five examples during the 

 previous twelve years. In the adult breeding plumage 

 there can be no question as to its extreme rarity off the 

 Eastern Counties, and, so far as I am aware, it has not 

 been met with on the Norfolk coast in that stage ; but 

 in immature and winter plumage it cannot, I think, be 

 considered so rare as the black-throated diver, though 

 both species are far from frequent at any time. Sir 

 Thomas Browne doubtless refers to this diver in the 

 following passage : " As also that large & strong-billd 

 fowle, spotted like a starling, Clusius nameth Mergus 

 maior Farroensis, as frequenting the Faro Islands, seated 

 above Shetland; one whereof I sent unto my worthy 

 friend Dr. Scarburgh ; " and, in a letter to Merrett, he 

 says that he has thrice met with this bird, which 

 " were taken about the time of the herring fishing at 

 Yarmouth. One was taken upon the shore not able to 

 fly away." 



Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear refer to two young 

 great northern divers having been killed on the river at 

 Yarmouth " in the beginning of last winter " [early in 

 the winter of 1823-4, as I learn from a note of Mr. 

 Lubbock's], one of which they state "is in Mr. Sabine's 

 collection." Hunt, in his list of " Norfolk Birds," pub- 



2L 



