24 RED-THROATED DIVER, 



than the females, and weighing at an average fully a pound more. These 

 birds are extremely tenacious of life. One which my son shot on the 

 wing fell, dived instantly, and swam to a considerable distance under 

 water, but returned to the surface, back downwards, and quite dead. 



The notes of the Red-throated Diver are harsh and rather loud ; they 

 resemble the syllables cac, cac, cac, carah, carah, enounced in rapid succes- 

 sion. In some instances the young men of my party found that the most 

 successful method of approaching these birds whilst on the water, was to 

 run as fast as possible towards them and shout loudly, for on such occa- 

 sions the birds dived instead of flying at once, and on emerging again, af- 

 forded them much better chances as they took to wing. At certain times, 

 when approached while they have young, they utter a soft plaintive note, 

 which evidently conveys to their offspring their wish that they should re- 

 main quiet in their hiding-places. 



The Red-throated Diver does not acquire the full beauty of its plu- 

 mage until its fourth year. The young are at first covered with thick 

 hairy down, of a blackish colour, inchning to brown. Before they are 

 fully able to fly, thisis changed into a dull grey on the upper parts, thick- 

 ly sprinkled with white dots on the extremity of each feather, the lower 

 parts being of a sullied white. During the second year these tints are 

 firmer, there are fewer spots above, and the texture of the lower parts is 

 more silky. In the third, both sexes assume the fine grey of the hind- 

 neck, with its longitudinal white stripes, and here and there a few spots 

 of red on the lower part of the throat. The next spring their plumage is 

 perfect. 



I have never observed any of these birds on our inland lakes or rivers. 

 In the neighbourhood of Boston, and along the Bay of Fundy, they are 

 best known by the names of " Scape-grace'' and " Cape-racer." By the 

 9th of August the young birds had left the fresh-water lakes and ponds 

 for the bays on the coast, and we were informed by the settlers, both in 

 Newfoundland and Labrador, that, by the last days of September, none 

 were to be found in those countries. 



The dislike which this species shews to fresh-water after the breeding- 

 season is such, that they are rarely seen in the upper part of large bays, 

 but prefer for their winter residence the shores of sea-islands and barren 

 rocks. Thus, at that season, they are met with about the outer islands of 

 the Bay of Fundy, and those along our eastern coast. 



\\ liile in fresh water, the Red-throated Diver feeds principally on 



