THE NORTHERN DIVER. 287 



called, is a very large and powerful bird, and withal of very 

 vigorous wing. The individuals of course vary in size, but 

 specimens have been found about two feet and a half in 

 length, more than five feet in the stretch of the wings, and 

 weighing twelve or fourteen pounds. Thus, though formed 

 for another kind of diving, it is not much less powerful, if 

 size and wing be elements of power, than the eagle itself. As 

 is the case with most large birds, when they are merely pass- 

 ing from place to place, its flies high ; and this may be one 

 of the reasons for its not being seen in its passage between 

 the breeding haunt and the sea. 



The bill, in the larger specimens, exceeds four inches in 

 length, is black in the colour, and very strong, The upper 

 mandible bends very slightly down on the culmen ; the lower 

 one, which is channelled and enlarged at the middle, bends 

 much more upwards, giving the whole bill an appearance of 

 being turned up. All the divers, and also the grebes, have 

 the bill of that form, which no doubt assists them in raising 

 their prey out of the water. 



The head and neck are black j the latter with two white 

 collars, thickly mottled with small black lines. A portion 

 of the side of the neck, below the entire black, marked in 

 the same manner as the collars. The whole of the upper 

 part black, thickly studded with white spots, as if snow-flakes 

 had fallen upon it. The rump and tail mottled like the col- 

 lars, but with a greater proportion of black, and a tinge of 

 dull yellow. All the under parts, in the mature bird, pure 

 white. The young have the upper plumage brownish, with 

 grey spots and margins ; grey on the cheeks, and the neck 

 grey and dusky, with the collars less or more shown according 

 to their progress to maturity : but they are not perfect till 

 the third year. The eggs are two, of a dark brown colour, 

 with black spots ; they are about the size of those of the 

 The note of the bird is a loud bawl. From 



