COLYMBID^!. 535 



county of Wilts. My own acquaintance with this 

 species has generally been cultivated on the south 

 coast of Devon, where it is common during the 

 winter, an occasional specimen remaining on till 

 quite late in the spring, as I have received a bird 

 from there, in full plumage, as late as the 30th of 

 May, and I unsuccessfully chased another full- 

 plumaged bird at Exmouth as late as the 14th of 

 May. On this coast, indeed, I consider both the 

 Great Northern and the Redthroated Divers very 

 common from about October to May, for in the 

 course of a row for a mile or so, or a walk along the 

 sea-wall at Teignmouth, one is sure to see several of 

 them ; but, except the two just mentioned, I have 

 never seen a full-plumaged Northern Diver on that 

 coast, though I have received specimens, both from 

 that and the north coast of Devon, in apparent 

 change to winter plumage ; bat on this subject I 

 shall have to say more when I come to the descrip- 

 tions of the bird in its various stages. 



This is a very difficult bird to approach or to 

 shoot, especially as soon as he finds himself chased : 

 the best chance of getting a first shot is to watch the 

 bird feeding, and gradually to creep up closer and 

 closer, rowing hard whilst he is employed below, and 

 keeping quite still as soon as he comes to the sur- 

 face : by this means one may get tolerably close 

 before the bird begins to suspect danger ; but if he 

 is not killed then at the first shot a long chase may 



