716 RED-THROATED DIVER. 
When breeding, this bird frequents more desolate spots than the 
Black-throated Diver, and generally prefers the margins of small 
tarns or even pools—often at a considerable elevation—to islands 
in a large loch. Sometimes there is a slight nest-border of heather or 
bents, but usually the 2 eggs are laid on the trodden-down turf or 
weeds, and so close to the water’s edge that they are often moist 
underneath ; their colour is olive-brown, spotted with umber: 
measurements 2°75 by 1’°8in. In Scotland they may be found 
fresh from the middle of May to a month later, while more than 
one pair of birds seldom inhabit the same piece of water ; but on 
the Porsanger Fjord in West Finmark Prof. Collett discovered fifteen 
nests in half an hour, and also found that the male shared the duties 
of incubation. The sitting bird lies flat down on the eggs, and, when 
disturbed, glides into the water, and at first swims very low; then, 
bending the head and neck forward, it disappears with a gentle 
plunge which hardly leaves a ripple ; but I have noticed that if my 
stay near the nest was prolonged, the bird would swim high, snap- 
ping the mandibles and turning the head with a jerky action, while 
occasionally stopping to drink. Mr. Henry Evans informs me that 
at times this Diver rises from a lake in the hills, and after ascending 
to a great height, rushes down to the sea at a speed which produces 
a sound “like blowing-off steam,” the descent terminating in a glide 
just before the water is reached. Mr. Caton Haigh says that this 
bird can sit, and even walk, in a fairly upright position. The note 
is a harsh ark, hark, kakera, and is supposed to foretell wet or 
stormy weather ; for which reason the bird is widely known as 
the “ Rain-goose.” The food consists chiefly of fish, which is often 
procured in summer in open waters, at some distance from the 
breeding-place. 
The adult male in March has the crown and nape slate-grey, 
streaked with white; sides of the head and neck paler grey ; a long, 
triangular patch of vinaceous chestnut down the middle of the fore- , 
neck; upper surface chiefly ash-brown; under-parts white, with 
greyish-black spots on the flanks. Length 24 in., wing rr‘2 in. ; 
females being smaller. After the autumn-moult the red on the 
throat is lost for a short time, and the upper plumage is spotted 
and streaked with white. In the young bird the feathers are edged, 
rather than spotted, with white. 
