454 



THE DIVING mUDS — PYGOrODES. 



= :5 



near Grinnell Bay. He was informed liy (Jovernor Fencker tliat it is not found in 

 North Greenland. Only a single individual is known to have been taken so far 

 south as Toint Lepreau, in the l?ay of Fuiidy. 



The Messrs. Godnian met with this species in Norway, but did not regard it as 

 common there. They found one nest on a small island close to the shore of an inland 

 lake. Mr. Wheelwright states that it breeds connnonly all over Scandinavia from 

 the north of Seania to far up into Lapland and Finland, but principally in the 

 interior of those regions. Sommerfehlt nu'ntions that every winter the j'lack-throated 

 Divers are seen off the north coast in Varanger Fiord. They are met with also on 

 the Bohus-liin coast all through the year. 



This bird was found in the Harrens {Tinidnis) of Northern SilM'ria by MiddendorlT ; 

 and Von Heuglin, wluic he did not meet with it about Nova Zcnd>la, states that he 

 saw examph's not infrecpiently, in pairs, in .Fugor Straits and the ICara Sea. 



Mr. II. Whitely found it eommou in the harbor of ilakodadi, Japan ; it was very 

 shy and dilHcult of ai>|>roa('h. 



Audubon speaks of having found the young of this species scattered over the 

 United States as far as Texas; but as this species is not now found any where, and is 

 unknown within our liniit.s, we naturally infer that he was mistaken, and that lie 

 must have confounded with it immature birtls of another species. He c.»'rtainly was 

 in error in (pu)ting Mr. Townseiid as including it in his List of Uirds found on the 

 Cohuubia, in which list it is not given. AudidxMi met with a few pairs of these birds 

 in Tiabrador, but procured no siM-cimens, and did not lind them nesting. This Loon 

 lias almo.st as powerful a flight us the Great Northern Diver, and tlics with even 

 greater velocity. 



In the IJritish Islands tlie lUack-throated Diver is given by Mr. Yarrell as being 

 the riirest of the Loons, occurring but .sehlom on the southern shores. Young binls 

 are the more common, and are (H-i-asidually lirought to tiie London nuirket. Hirds 

 in the nniture }ilumage have been taken in the summer, but very rarely. 



Mr. Selby states that tlie lUack-throated Diver dives with the sanu' ease and as 

 perseveringly as do the otlu-r species, and can remain long subuu'rged, traversing 

 a great distance in its submarine Hight; as was cxperieiu'cd l>y himself and Sir 

 William Janline when in chase of one of these birds, in a light boat on Loch Awe. 

 Their utnu)8t exertions c(»uld not liring the Locui within range, and they were often 

 foiled by its returning on its former track and reappearing in a direction contrary to 

 that in whidi it had seemed to dive. It was frecpiently lost for several minutes, and 

 would then come up a ipiarter of a mile ah ad. Its progress under the water was 

 estinuited to have In-en not le.ss than eight miles an hour. He saw a pair toward the 

 end of June, but did not .succeed in detecting tiieir place of nlililieation. Their food 

 seemed to Im^ fish, aquatic insects, and sudi otlu-r articles as tiicy could procure on or 

 under the water. 



In Sutherland.shire Mr. Sell»y Hmnil this species on most of the lochs of tlio 

 interior. At the foot of Loch Shin he found its nest, or ratlier tlie two eggs on the 

 bare groiuid, on a small islet, removed a,bout ten or twelve feet from the water's edge. 

 The female was in the act of incubation, .sitting horizontally, and not in uprigiit posi- 

 tion on the eggs. When shot at she immediately dived otf to her mate, who was at 

 a short distance. His pursuit of tliem v.as (luite iiuilTectual. Their sidauersion con- 

 tinued two nnnutes at a time. They came up fidly a quarter of a mile distant from 

 the sjMJt where they went down ; and where they would rcaiipei. it was impossible' 

 to calculate. In no instance did they attcmjtt to escape by taking wing. A visible 

 track from the water to the eggs was made by the fenuile, whose progress upon the 



