144 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE WHITE-BILLED DIVER, 
COLYMBUS ADAMSI, ON THE BRITISH COASTS. 
By Henry Szesoum, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 
THERE can be little doubt that the White-billed Diver is 
perfectly distinct from the Great Northern Diver, and has as 
much claim to be regarded as a British bird as other more or 
less accidental visitors to our islands. It was first discovered 
about the year 1830 by Capt. James Clark Ross, who obtained 
three examples in Boothia, north of Hudson’s Bay, during his 
cruise in the Arctic Regions in the ‘Victory’ (App. Sec. Voy. 
N.W. Pass., Nat. Hist., p. xlii). Unfortunately Sabine persuaded 
Capt. Ross, against his own better judgment, that the examples 
which he obtained were only very old males of the Great 
Northern Diver. One of these examples was presented to 
Audubon, and another of them, in full breeding plumage, may 
now be seen in the museum of the Literary and Philosophical 
Society in Hull. 
Twenty years afterwards it was rediscovered by Mr. Adams, 
who obtained it in Alaska during the cruise of the ‘ Enterprise.’ 
This example, also an adult in full summer plumage, may be 
seen mounted in the gallery of the British Museum in South 
Kensington. It was described by G. R. Gray, who named it after 
its discoverer (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1859, p. 167). In 1852 a British 
example was shot at Pakefield, on the Suffolk coast, in early 
spring, and is now in the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney, at 
Northrepps Hall, near Cromer. It is in winter plumage (Sclater, 
Proc. Zool. Soc., 1859, p. 206). A second British-killed example, 
also in winter plumage, is in the museum at Newcastle, and 
Mr. Hancock assures me that it was shot on the Northumberland 
coast, although the precise date is unknown. 
The breeding range of the White-billed Diver extends in the 
Arctic Regions from Hudson’s Bay across Alaska and Eastern 
Siberia, at least as far as the Taimoor Peninsula, and probably 
to Nova Zembla and the Kanin Peninsula. In winter it has 
been known to stray as far as Japan and the British Islands. 
This species closely resembles the Great Northern Diver 
in the pattern of its plumage, but may be distinguished at all 
seasons of the year by its large ivory-coloured bill, which 
