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CHAPTER VII. 



Divers Great Northern Diver Black-throated Diver Red-throated 

 Diver Gannet Cormorant Shag Grebes. 



OF the true divers belonging to the genus Colymbus 

 three species are met with in the British Islands 

 the Great Northern, the Red-throated, and the 

 Black-throated Divers. The two first-named are 

 common enough at certain seasons, the last being 

 of far less frequent occurrence. Nearly related to 

 these are the Grebes (Podiceps\ of which we have 

 five species the Great Crested, the Red-necked, 

 the Sclavonian, the Eared, and the Little Grebe, all 

 likely to be met with by the wildfowler, although 

 the first and the last are much commoner than 

 any of the others, since they breed in many parts of 

 the country on lakes and sedgy pools, where there 

 is sufficient aquatic vegetation to conceal them from 

 view during the nesting season. While reviewing 

 the diving birds, we can scarcely pass over the 

 Cormorant, and its congener, the Crested Shag, 

 both of which are sure to be frequently encountered 

 by the fowler in the course of his excursions. It 

 w r ill be convenient to notice all these divers in the 

 order named. 



THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (Colymbus glacialis\ 

 when in adult summer plumage, is a large and 

 remarkably handsome bird, decked in velvety black, 



