GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 49 
frozen, first leaving the quiet lakes and ponds, then the slow streams, 
and lastly the turbulent pools below waterfalls, which latter they do 
not quit until they are overhung by icicles and deserted of fish. On 
the other hand, this species returns northward at a later period than 
most others that breed in high latitudes. I have witnessed the arrival 
of some on the coast of Labrador, after they had crossed the Gulf of 
St Lawrence, as late as the 20th of June, after which they had scarce- 
ly four months to seek out a breeding place, lay their eggs, hatch and 
rear their young, and with them remove southward, before the rigour 
of winter commenced. 
The Great Northern Diver is a heavy-bodied bird, and generally 
swims rather deep in the water, more especially if apprehensive of im- 
mediate danger, when scarcely more than two inches in height of its 
back can be seen above the surface. As its body is more flattened 
than that of the Cormorant, this circumstance might seem to favour 
the action in question ; but other species less depressed exhibit the 
same peculiarity ; and I have thought that in all of these the internal 
structure alone can account for this peculiar faculty. 
With the exception of that most expert of all divers, the Anhinga, 
and the Great Auk, the Loon is perhaps the most accomplished. 
Whether it be fishing in deep water amid rolling billows, or engaged 
in eluding its foes, it disappears beneath the surface so suddenly, re- 
mains so long in the water, and rises at so extraordinary a distance, of- 
ten in a direction quite the reverse of that supposed to be followed by 
it, that your eyes become wearied in searching for it, and you renounce 
the wish of procuring it out of sheer vexation. At least, this has very 
frequently happened to me; nay, I have at times abandoned the chase 
when the bird was so severely wounded as to be obliged to dive imme- 
diately beside my boat, and had it not died of exhaustion and floated 
near enough to be seized by me, I felt as if I could not have pulled my 
oars any longer, and was willing to admit that I was outdone by a 
Loon. 
In Labrador, where these birds were abundant, my son JOHN one 
day shot at one on wing, which fell upon the water to appearance 
quite dead, and remained on its back motionless until we had leisurely 
rowed to it, when a sailor put out his hand to take it up. The Loon, 
however, to our surprise, suddenly sprung up, and dived, and while we 
stood amazed, watching its appearance, we saw it come up at the dis- 
VOL. IV. D 
