52 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 
When out ata distance he made the same cautious efforts to hide, and 
would commonly defend himself in great anger, by darting at the in- 
truder, and striking powerfully with his dagger-like bill. This bird, 
with a pink-coloured iris-like albinos, appeared to suffer from the glare 
of broad day-light, and was inclined to hide from its effects, but be- 
came very active towards the dusk of the evening. The pupil of the 
eye in this individual, like that of nocturnal animals, appeared indeed 
dilatable ; and the one in question often put down his head and eyes 
into the water to observe the situation of his prey. This bird was a 
most expert and indefatigable diver, and remained down sometimes 
for several minutes, often swimming under water, and as it were flying 
with the velocity of an arrow in the air. Though at length inclining 
to become docile, and shewing no alarm when visited, it constantly 
betrayed its wandering habits, and every night was found to have 
waddled to some hiding place, where it seemed to prefer hunger to 
the loss of liberty, and never could be restrained from exercising its 
instinct to move onwards to some secure or more suitable asylum.” 
The same valued friend has corroborated the result of my observa- 
tions respecting the number of eggs usually laid by this species, by 
stating as follows: “* About the 11th of June, through the kindness of 
Dr J. W. Harris, I received three eggs, which had been taken from 
the nest of a Loon, made in a hummock, or elevated grassy hillock, at 
Sebago Pond, in New Hampshire.” 
The range of this species is immense. It occurs on the waters 
that fall into the Pacific Ocean, and has been observed on the Colum- 
bia River. In the Fur Countries it is plentiful; and, as I have al- 
ready stated, it breeds in many parts of the United States. It is 
found equally in Europe, and the northern parts of Asia. In all these 
countries it moves southward on the approach of winter, and returns 
when the mild weather commences in spring. 
_ Unlike the Cormorant, the Loon usually swallows its food under 
the water, unless when it happens to bring up a shell-fish or a crusta- 
ceous animal, which it munches for a while before it swallows it. 
Fishes of numerous kinds, aquatic insects, water-lizards, frogs, and 
leeches, have been found by me in its stomach, in which there is 
also generally much coarse gravel, and sometimes the roots of fresh- 
water plants. 
Although the flesh of the Loon is not very palatable, being tough, 
