BLACK-THROATED DIVER. 



411 



the sides of the head aiid the chin and throat are suffused with brown. 

 After the first spring moult the adult plumage is nearly assumed, except 

 that the slate-grey on the head and hind neck is darker. Young in down 

 are blackish brown on the upper parts, and greyish brown on the under- 

 parts*. 



* It may save the student some trouble to know that the so-called young Black-throated 

 Diver obtained at Nagasaki on the 25th of December, described by Saunders (Yarr. Hist. 

 Brit. B. iv. p. Ill), is an adult in winter plumage, which has begun to assume nuptial 

 plumage on some of the wing-coverts. It is a rather remarkable fact that adult Divers 

 assume their nuptial plumage so very early ; young in first plumage moult much later, 

 seldom before March, probably because they seldom breed until their second spring. 



