﻿I02 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Nests 
  and 
  eggs. 
  This 
  bird 
  lays 
  its 
  eggs 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  lake 
  

   where 
  it 
  can 
  easily 
  slide 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  danger. 
  The 
  

   nest 
  is 
  a 
  mere 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  rock 
  or 
  ground 
  and 
  its 
  eggs, 
  usually 
  two 
  

   in 
  number, 
  are 
  about 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  goose 
  egg, 
  grayish 
  olive-brown 
  in 
  color, 
  

   spotted 
  with 
  brownish 
  black. 
  The 
  young 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  soft 
  down, 
  

   sooty 
  brown 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  leave 
  the 
  nest 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  hatched. 
  The 
  time 
  

   for 
  fresh 
  eggs 
  is 
  from 
  May 
  1 
  5 
  to 
  June 
  5 
  . 
  

  

  Gavia 
  arctica 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Black-throated 
  Loon 
  

  

  Plate 
  2 
  

  

  C 
  o 
  1 
  V 
  m 
  b 
  ti 
  s 
  a 
  r 
  c 
  t 
  i 
  c 
  u 
  s 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  i 
  : 
  135 
  

   Urinatorarcticus 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  9 
  

  

  arc'tica, 
  arctic 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks. 
  This 
  bird 
  bears 
  a 
  general 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  

   Common 
  loon, 
  but 
  is 
  smaller. 
  In 
  summer 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Jiead 
  and 
  

   back 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  clear 
  bluish 
  gray, 
  gradually 
  fading 
  into 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  

   throat 
  and 
  foreneck. 
  The 
  white 
  streaks 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  its 
  neck 
  form 
  a 
  

   lengthwise 
  patch, 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  spots 
  on 
  its 
  upper 
  parts 
  are 
  more 
  confined 
  to 
  

   restricted 
  areas 
  as 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  plate. 
  In 
  winter, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  much 
  closer 
  

   resemblance, 
  but 
  the 
  Black-throated 
  diver 
  has 
  a 
  much 
  wider 
  edging 
  of 
  

   bluish 
  gray 
  on 
  the 
  feathers 
  of 
  its 
  upper 
  parts, 
  which 
  gives 
  it 
  a 
  peculiar 
  

   "reticulated 
  or 
  scaly 
  appearance." 
  

  

  Length 
  27-30 
  inches; 
  wing 
  12-13; 
  culmen 
  2.4-2.5; 
  gape 
  3.4; 
  hight 
  of 
  

   bill 
  at 
  nostril 
  .65; 
  tarsus 
  2.9. 
  

  

  This 
  arctic 
  species 
  is 
  extremely 
  rare 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  the 
  only 
  specimen 
  

   from 
  this 
  State 
  known 
  to 
  exist 
  is 
  recorded 
  by 
  Dutcher 
  in 
  the 
  Auk, 
  volume 
  

   10, 
  page 
  265. 
  "The 
  bird 
  was 
  killed 
  by 
  Gus 
  Merritt 
  of 
  City 
  Island, 
  L. 
  I., 
  

   on 
  Saturday 
  morning, 
  April 
  29, 
  1893, 
  between 
  Sands 
  Point 
  lighthouse 
  and 
  

   Execution 
  lighthouse. 
  He 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  a 
  party 
  of 
  young 
  men 
  who 
  left 
  City 
  

   Island 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  night 
  to 
  lie 
  in 
  line 
  for 
  ducks. 
  At 
  daylight 
  on 
  

   Saturday 
  morning 
  the 
  bird 
  flew 
  from 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  was 
  killed 
  by 
  him 
  as 
  it 
  

   passed 
  over 
  his 
  boat." 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  male 
  in 
  full 
  plumage. 
  

  

  