446 COLYMBIM. 



colour changes a little and assumes a chestnut, or dark red- 

 dish-brown tint when the egg has been long incubated. 



It will thus be seen that in its habits and food this spe- 

 cies very closely resembles the other two already described. 

 It is found at the Faroe Islands and at Iceland. At the 

 latter place Mr. Proctor saw small flocks of twenty or 

 twenty-five together, but not a White-throated bird among 

 them. Mr. Proctor suspected they were all old males ; 

 the females were then engaged in incubation. The Red- 

 throated Diver has been seen as far north as Nova Zembla, 

 and was found, as stated by Captain James C. Ross, at 

 Boothia, and in every part of the Arctic regions visited by 

 the late expeditions. 



Of this bird Mr. Audubon says, " the Bed-throated 

 Diver is found, in tolerable abundance, on the sea-coast of 

 the United States during autumn, winter, and early spring, 

 from Maryland to the extremities of Maine. The younger 

 the birds the farther south do they proceed to spend the 

 winter, and it is rare to see an old bird, of either sex, at 

 any season to the south of the Bay of Boston. Farther 

 eastward they become more common, and they may be 

 said to be plentiful towards the entrance of the Bay of 

 Fundy, in the vicinity of which a few remain and breed. 

 I found some in December, January, and February, at 

 Boston, where I procured males, females, and young birds. 

 The old had the red patch on the throat darker than in 

 the breeding-season ; the delicate grey and white lines on 

 the neck were as pure as I observed them to be during 

 summer in Labrador ; and I have since been convinced 

 that birds of this family undergo very little if any change 

 of colouring after they have once acquired their perfect 

 plumage, the Loon and the Black-throated Diver being 

 included in this remark." 



