of Weymouth, most of them in immature plumage, 

 but we could make out a few adults. Both young and 

 old set all our efforts to obtain any of them at defiance 

 — in fact, they never allowed our boats, either under sail 

 or when pulled by four good rowers, to approach within 

 reasonable shooting distance. 



In the month of May of the year above mentioned 

 we found an adult bird of this species frequenting the 

 harbour of Santander: he afforded us many most 

 exciting chases ; but I am glad to say that for all I know 

 to the contrary he may still be alive and flourishing ; 

 at all events the last that we saw of him was on the 

 clay of our departure from Santander for Bordeaux in 

 the second week of June, when he crossed our bows in 

 a northerly direction just as we cleared the narrow 

 entrance of the harbour. 



In November and December 1878 I found several of 

 this species in the same locality, and, with the aid of a 

 steam-launch, procured two or three specimens without 

 much difficultv, and might have shot more ; but the 

 real sport in Diver-hunting consists in the pursuit, and 

 not in the actual capture, and marvellous as are the 

 rapidity and length of the dives of this fine bird, he is 

 unfairly handicapped in smooth waters by the use of 

 steam-power. The Great Northern Diver will ride out 

 very heavy weather on the open sea without resorting 

 to the quiet waters of harbours and estuaries ; there is 

 indeed no special reason why this bird should frequent 

 shallow waters except when in pursuit of some shoal of 

 favourite fishes, for he can, and constantly does, take 

 his prey at a depth of forty or fifty fathoms. 



