DIVER. 183 



they come on shore ; where they are seen drawn up in 

 ranks with the albatross, as if in deep consultation. They 

 begin laying about the month of November. Their 

 preparations for this business are soon adjusted ; a small 

 depression of the earth, without any nest, answers their 

 purpose ; nevertheless, the warmth of their feathers, and 

 the heat of their bodies, are such, that the incubation is 

 rapidly carried on. The female lays but one egg, which 

 is larger than that of the goose ; and sometimes several 

 lay their eggs in the same hole, and sit on them by turns. 



THE DIVER. 



Birds of this genus have a sharp, straight, narrow bill, 

 linear nostrils, a pointed tongue serrated near the base, 

 short wings, and legs placed far backwards, with broad 

 feet. The northern diver, one of the most remarkable 

 of the family, measures about three feet and a half in 

 length, and four feet and a half in breadth. The head 

 and neck are of a deep black, the hind part of the 

 latter being streaked with a large white band shaped like 

 a crescent ; and exactly under the throat there is a cor- 

 responding band. The lower part of the neck is a deep 

 black tinged with a rich purple gloss, and the under side 

 of the body is wholly white ; but the back, the coverts of 

 the wings, and the scapulars, are black, marked with 

 white spots. The tail is very short, and hid by the sca- 

 pulars, which are dusky, and spotted with white ; and the 

 legs and toes are black. 



These birds, which frequent the northern seas, feed 

 wholly on fish. The dab-chick belongs* to the family ; 

 and, like the rest, moves with more facility under the 

 water than on its surface. It raises itself from that 

 element with difficulty ; but, when once it has gained the 

 higher regions, h is capable of continuing its flight for a 

 considerable time. It forms its nest on the banks of 

 lakes or rivers. 



