BRITISH BIRDS. 



387 



THE RED-THROATED DIVER. 



IMMATURE. 



THE bill is white, faintly blushed with a livid or 

 purple cast, except on the ridge of the upper man- 

 dible, where it is of a dark horn colour, fading off 

 lighter towards the tip, which is entirely white : the 

 irides are of a clear brown. The head and hinder 

 part of the neck have a hoary dark ash-coloured 

 appearance, at a little distance, but on a nearer 

 view, the feathers on the crown and brow, which 

 are very small, are dark in the middle, and dis- 

 tinctly edged with light grey: those from the nape 

 downwards are larger, but the edges are less de- 

 nned. The sides of the mouth, about the eyes, also 

 the cheeks and throat, are white, but are partially 

 dulled or freckled by a mixture of numerous small 

 brownish ash-coloured spots : the fore part of the 

 neck is darkened with closer set and larger spots, 

 inclining more to brown. All the upper parts of 

 the plumage are of a deep or black brown, and ex- 

 cept the greater coverts and the quills, are speckled 

 all over with oblong oval white spots, placed on the 



