BLACK-THROATED DlVE^l. 185 



p. 343). Mr. Nelson, in his " Natural History Collections of 

 Alaska," writes : " During a sledge journey along this coast 

 fragments of the skin were seen, usually comprising the skin of 

 the neck divided, and with the beak in front, and thus fastened 

 as a fillet about the head, the long white beak projecting from 

 the wearer's brow. Fillets made of this bird's skin in the same 

 manner are commonly used by the natives of the coa^t just 

 named, and about Kotzebue Sound. They are worn during 

 certain religious dances held in winter, and are esteemed highly 

 by the natives, from some occult power they are supposed to 

 possess." 



Nest. The only record of the finding of the nest of the 

 White- billed Diver, is that of Palander, during the voyage of 

 the " Vega." He shot the female from the nest, on the 3rd of 

 July, 1879, at Pitlekai, on the Tschuktschi Peninsula. 



Egg. Like that of Colymbus glacialis. Axis, 37 inches; 

 diam. 2*2. 



III. THE BLACK-THROATED DIVER. COLYMBUS ARCTICUS. 



Colymbus arctiais. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 221 (1766); Macgill. 

 Brit. B. v. p. 294 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 615, pi. 

 627 (1876); B. O. U. List. Brit. B. p. 201 (1883); 

 Saunders, ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iv. p. 105 (1884); 

 Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 407 (1885); Saunders, 

 Man. Brit. B. p. 697 (1889). 



Adult Male. General colour above glossy black, spangled 

 with white sub-terminal bars on the scapulars, very broad and 

 distinct ; on each side of the mantle a second longitudinal 

 patch of white, formed by broad sub-terminal bars to the 

 feathers ; remainder of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts 

 black ; wing-coverts black, with twin spots of white on the 

 median and greater series ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, 

 quills and tail black ; head and neck dove-grey, slightly more 

 slaty-grey on the forehead and region of the eye ; sides of face 

 and ear-coverts sooty-grey ; throat purple, brighter on the 

 lower throat, the margin of which is abruptly defined on the 

 fore-neck. Across the middle of the throat a band of white 

 streaks, varied with eight streaks of black ; sides of lower 



