258 COLYMBUS GLACIALIS. 



a few stripes of the same ; the whole of the upper parts 

 are of a deep black, slightly glossed with green, and 

 thickly spotted with white, in regular transverse or 

 semicircular rows, two spots on the end of each feather, 

 those on the upper part of the back, shoulders, rump, 

 and tail-coverts, small and roundish, those on the centn- 

 of the back, square and larger ; those on the scapulars 

 are the largest, and of an oblong square shape ; the wing- 

 feathers and tail are plain brown black, the latter 

 composed of twenty feathers ; the lower parts are pure 

 white, a slight dusky line across the vent ; the scapulars 

 descend over the wing when closed, and the belly 

 feathers ascend so as to meet them, by which means 

 every part of the wing is concealed, except towards the 

 tip ; the outside of the legs and feet is black, inside lead 

 colour ; the leg is four inches in length, and the foot 

 measures, along the exterior toe to the tip of its claw, 

 four inches and three quarters ; both legs and feet are 

 marked with five-sided polygons; weight of the specimen 

 described, eight pounds and a half. 



The female diver is somewhat less than the male ; 

 the bill is yellowish ; crown, back part of the neck, and 

 whole upper parts, pale brown ; the plumage of part of 

 the back and scapulars is tipt with pale ash ; th<> 

 throat, lower side of the neck, and whole under parts, 

 are white, but not so pure as that of the male, having a 

 yellowish tinge ; the quill feathers dark brown. She 

 has no appearance of bands on her neck, or of spots on 

 her body. 



The young males do not obtain their perfect plumage 

 until the second or third year. One which we saw, 

 and which was conjectured to be a yearling, had 

 some resemblance to the female, with the exception of 

 its upper parts being of a darker and purer brown or 

 mouse colour, and its under parts of a more delicate 

 white; it had likewise a few spots on th<> bark and 

 scapulars; but none of those markings on the nock 

 which distinguish the full grown male. 



The conformation of the ribs and bones of this SJH 

 is remarkable, and merits particular examination. 



