160 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



Caithness ; elsewhere it is only known as a winter 

 visitor. In many of its habits it closely resembles 

 the preceding species. It is exclusively aquatic, 

 only seeking the land during the breeding season, 

 but is, perhaps, not quite so oceanic as that bird 

 in the winter, when it not unfrequently haunts 

 inland waters. It dives with equal skill, flies with 

 the same powerful rapidity, and utters during the 

 nesting season very similar unearthly cries. Fish 

 form the chief food of this Diver, but it is said 

 also to capture frogs. Most of the examples of 

 this Diver that are seen close in-shore (on our 

 eastern and southern coasts principally) during 

 winter are immature, the older birds as a rule 

 keeping further out to sea. The Black-throated 

 Diver indulges in the same peculiar habit of 

 gradually sinking its body in the sea when 

 alarmed, and will frequently seek to escape pursuit 

 by diving outright, and swimming under water 

 for a considerable distance. 



The Black-throated Divers that breed with us, 

 retire to their inland haunts in May. Its favourite 

 nesting places are on islands in moorland lochs, 

 pools, and tarns. It displays few social tendencies 

 at this season, although several pairs not un- 

 frequently nest within a comparatively small area 

 of exceptionally suitable country, each, nevertheless, 

 keeping to its own particular haunt. This Diver 

 may also pair for life, seeing that it evinces con- 

 siderable attachment to certain favourite nesting 



