OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 5I 



Large numbers of these birds visit the waters of Southern 

 Ontario in March and April, about the time of the breaking up 

 of the ice ; yet an adult with the red throat patch is scarcely 

 ever seen ; the one in my collection was procured out on Lake 

 Ontario at midsummer, having for some reason failed to follow 

 the flocks to the far north. In the fall very few are seen, their 

 route to the south being in some other direction. 



All the birds of this class have a most ungainly gait on land, 

 and when surprised away from the water are often taken by the 

 hand before they can get up to fly ; on the water or under its sur- 

 face their motions are exceedingly graceful. 



Dr. Coues when speaking in his " Birds of the North-west " 

 of the familiarity of the Pacific Black-throated Diver in the 

 harbour of San Pedro, in Southern California, says : "They 

 even came up to the wharves, and played about as unconcerned 

 as domestic ducks ; they constantly swam around the vessels 

 lying at anchor in the harbour, and all their motions both on, 

 and under, the clear water could be studied to as much advan- 

 tage as if the birds had been placed in artificial tanks for the 

 purpose. Now two or three would ride lightly over the surface, 

 with the neck gracefully curved, propelled with idle strokes of 

 their broad paddles to this side or to that, one leg after the 

 other stretched at ease almost horizontally backwards, while 

 their flashing eyes first directed upwards with curious sidelong 

 glances, then peering into the depths below, sought for some at- 

 tractive morsel. In an instant, with the peculiar motion im- 

 possible to describe, they would disappear beneath the surface, 

 leaving a little foam and bubbles to mark where they went down, 

 and I could follow their course under water ; see them shoot 

 with marvelous swiftness through the limpid element, as, urged 

 by powerful strokes of the webbed feet and beats of the half 

 open wings, they Jiew rather than swam ; see them dart out the 

 arrow-like bill, transfix an unlucky fish and lightly rise to the 

 surface again. While under water the bubbles of air carried 

 down with them cling to the leathers, and they seem be-spangled 

 with glittering jewels, borrowed for the time from their 

 native element, and lightly parted with when they leave it, 

 when they arrange their feathers with a shiver, shaking off the 



