412 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



their breeding stations. Where these may be, I am at a loss to 

 conjecture. The absence of the birds extends through so short an 

 interval as to preclude the idea of the journey being a lengthened 

 one. In six weeks at most many of them are back to their old 

 haunts, even as far south as the coasts of Ayrshire, where I have 

 seen adult birds in August, accompanied by their young ones 

 little larger than a mallard. As the species is much later in 

 spreading along the eastern shores of Scotland, it may be presumed 

 that the Great Northern Divers of the western islands are hatched 

 either in Iceland or the north-eastern shores of Greenland. It is 

 possible that Greenland birds may leave sooner than those bred in 

 Iceland, as on referring to Professor Newton's very interesting list 

 of the birds of the latter country, it will be seen that mention is 

 made of this Diver forming into parties on the sea in the end of 

 August, and remaining off that coast during the winter. Although 

 it has been at various times hinted that the species may have bred 

 in this country, positive proof is yet wanting to set the question 

 at rest. Mr A. G. More states (Ibis, 1865) that Mr W. Dunbar 

 informed him of having seen, when he was a boy, a pair of Great 

 Northern Divers, with one young one, in Loch Endorb(^) On 

 the same loch were two or three pairs of the black-throated diver, 

 so that the two species were easily distinguished by the great 

 disparity of size. Mr More likewise mentions that Dr Saxby had 

 procured from Yell, in Shetland, some eggs which he considered 

 to belong to the Great Northern Diver ; but I may here repeat 

 what I communicated to Mr More during the preparation of his 

 paper, that eggs alone can scarcely be relied upon, as I had seen 

 some specimens about as large as those of Colijmbus glacialis, and 

 very like them in shape, which had been taken from a black- 

 throated diver shot on the nest. Mr Harvie Brown has informed 

 me that he is nearly certain of having seen the Great Northern 

 Diver for two successive years in a loch in Sutherlandshire during 

 the height of the breeding season. He has described to me the 

 different cry and general deportment of the birds as contrasted 

 with those of the black-throated diver, with which he is perfectly 

 familiar. I have therefore a hope of yet hearing that the species 

 has bred in that county. 



According to the Rev. J. L. Buchanan, who published a book of 

 travels in the Western Hebrides in 1793, this bird was then called 

 the Bishop Carara in the Long island. The bishop, says this 



