240 RED-THROATED DIVER. 



slightly bordered with white : the back, scapulars, 

 and rump are dusky-brown, sprinkled with many 

 small white spots, disposed on the edges of the webs : 

 the wing-coverts are bordered towards their tips with 

 white : the beak is ashy-white ; deepest above : the 

 irides are brown : the legs are externally brown ; in- 

 ternally, and part of the membranes, ashy-white. In 

 the second year the throat and sides of the neck be- 

 come coloured as in the old birds : the nape is also 

 rayed the same, though occasionally, at this age, all 

 the fore part of the neck is clothed with white fea- 

 thers, amongst which are some of a chesnut-red co- 

 lour : the white spots on the upper parts of the plu- 

 mage become more distinct, smaller, and are often 

 tinged with yellowish. After the second moult all 

 the fore part of the neck is of a chesnut-red, which 

 is often sprinkled with white : the spots on the upper 

 parts of the plumage disappear as the bird attains 

 maturity. 



Like the two former species, this frequents the 

 arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and America : it is 

 very abundant in the autumn and throughout the 

 winter in England, Holland, and France ; and the 

 young abound in the seas of the interior of Holland, 

 in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. The female 

 makes her nest, which is composed of moss and 

 herbage, with a little of her own down, on the 

 very edge of the shore : she lays two eggs, of an 

 equal thickness at each end, and of a brownish-yellow 

 colour, marked with a few black spots. These birds 

 live in pairs : run swiftly upon the water, but are 

 very awkward on land : they rise from the ground 



