142 RED-THROATED DIYER. 



pools on low islands in the sea, the margins of inland lakes, 

 and islets in them, and watery places on higher grounds. 



The nest is nothing more than a few rushes or blades and 

 stalks of grass, with leaves and moss, mixed, Selby says, with 

 the down of the bird. It is placed among the stones or 

 gravel close to the water's edge, so that if need be, the bird 

 can slide at once into its all but native, and at all times 

 natural and congenial element. 



The eggs are two in number, and equally rounded at both 

 ends. They are of a dull brownish green colour, rather thickly 

 spotted with dark brown. 



Male; weight, nearly three pounds; length, two feet and a 

 quarter, or a little over; bill, dark bluish horn-colour; the 

 tipper mandible is straight, the lower one somewhat angular 

 in outline; iris, red; head on the sides and crown, the latter 

 the darkest, and neck on the sides, bluish grey, variegated 

 with paler spots and lines; neck on the back, and nape, 

 almost black, but marked with short lines of white, which 

 give these parts a striated appearance; chin, grey, also 

 variegated with paler spots and lines. The throat has an 

 angular-shaped dark red, or reddish brown patch, the base of 

 the angle lowermost, the apex upwards; breast, white, the 

 flanks greyish black, the centres of the feathers darker; back, 

 very dark brown, nearly black, spotted with white, each 

 feather having a paler margin. The wings reach, when ex- 

 tended, to the width of three feet five inches; greater and 

 lesser wing coverts, nearly black, spotted with white; prima- 

 ries, black. The tail, dark blackish brown, the tip white; 

 under tail coverts, white; legs and toes, dark brownish green 

 in front, the former paler behind, and tinged with purple 

 blue; webs, dark brown. 



In the autumn, and also it would appear in the spring, 

 the slate-coloured plumage on the sides of the head, chin, 

 and sides of the neck, as likewise the red plumage on the 

 front of the throat, is interspersed with the white feathers; 

 the feathers on the back are also a mixture of the old 

 brownish grey ones, and the new ones of a blackish grey, 

 with an oblong white spot on each side of the tip of the 

 feather. 



It seems, in fact, that this species is subject to two moults 

 in the year, for it is unquestionable that in some instances 

 the red throat is characteristic of the winter, as well as of 

 the summer plumage; on the other hand, so very many more 



