COLYMBID.E. 545 



loses again about October or November : it appears 

 to be rather earlier in attaining its full summer 

 plumage, if such it is, than the Northern Diver, for 

 a bird in perfect full plumage in my collection was 

 shot at Exmouth as early in the year as the 28th of 

 March. The bill is bluish horn ; the irides red ; the 

 top of the head and back of the neck streaked longi- 

 tudinally with black and white ; the face, sides of the 

 neck and chin a beautiful pale slate-grey ; fore part 

 of the throat red; back and scapulars very dark 

 dusky, nearly black, with a very few small white 

 spots ; rump and tail-coverts the same, but the white 

 spots are smaller and rather more frequent; wing- 

 coverts the same, but instead of the spots each 

 feather is edged all round except the tip with white ; 

 the primary quills are dark dusky; flanks and thighs 

 dusky, tipped with white ; all the under parts are 

 pure white ; the legs, toes and webs dark brown 

 like those of the Northern Diver, they are paler 

 inside, where they are not exposed to the light. 

 Another bird in my collection, also shot at Exmouth, 

 but in the winter, and to all appearance an adult 

 bird, has the top of the head and back of the neck 

 like the first mentioned ; the back and rest of the 

 upper parts very dark, nearly black, very distinctly 

 speckled with white the white spots are larger and 

 much more numerous than in the other bird ; there 

 are a few dark marks in the middle of the throat ; 

 with this exception the chin, throat and all the rest 



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