The Black-Throated Diver 175 



eating salmon fry on northern rivers. A bird killed in January is stated to nave 

 contained eight herrings, from three to five or six inches long. 



Its skin is used by the natives of Alaska, and other northern countries, for 

 clothing, as also is that of the Northern Diver. In the furriers shops in Norway 

 I have seen quantities of " trimmings," made from the pretty grey and black and 

 white neck skins of the present species. 



The adult male in summer has the bill black ; iris red ; crown, nape and 

 back of the neck clear slaty-grey ; forehead and face before the eyes more dusky; 

 lower face, behind and below the eyes, still more so, shading into the black of 

 the chin, throat and fore-part of the neck, the two latter glossed with purple-blue. 

 The black ends abruptly in a nearly straight line on the sides and in a point on 

 the front of the neck. Across the throat a crescent of short white lines. Sides 

 of the neck streaked with black and white — the white lines raised, the feathers 

 being black edged with white, and curiously curved up at the edges. Sides of 

 lower neck and breast streaked with black and white in about equal proportions; 

 under parts and wing lining white ; a dusky band across lowest part of the belly ; 

 under tail-coverts black and white; sides of the body and flanks black. Back, 

 wings and tail black, glossy on the back. On the shoulders (inter- scapulars) two 

 patches of rows of squarish white spots (formed by a white spot near the end of both 

 webs of the feathers.) A broader patch (with larger spots), on each side, on the 

 scapulars. Wing-coverts marked with white spots. Tarsi and feet blackish-brown 

 outside, paler inside. Length about 26 inches ; wing 11-5. Female rather smaller. 



In winter the bill is a light horn colour, edges of the mandibles dusky, and 

 culmen brownish-horn. Forehead, crown and hind neck greyish. Lores and sides 

 of the crown brownish. Back, wing-coverts and rump blackish-brown, with a slight 

 greenish gloss, and lighter grey edges to the feathers, which are broadest and most 

 conspicuous on those parts where the rows of white spots appear in summer. 

 Primaries brownish-black ; tail dark brown, narrowly tipped with dirty white ; chin, 

 throat, sides of the face, fore-neck, breast and belly white, with some slight 

 freckling of light greyish-brown on the face, throat and fore-neck ; sides of body 

 blackish-brown, mixed with a little white ; flanks brown and white ; axillaries 

 and under wing-coverts (save the outer ones, which have dusky centres) white ; 

 sides of the lower neck and upper breast streaked with greyish-brown ; thighs 

 and band across the vent dark brown ; under tail- coverts brown and white ; tarsi 

 and feet pale on the inner and upper surfaces, dusky on the outer and lower. 



The immature bird has the face, throat and fore-neck freckled with minute 

 markings of a light greenish-brown. The young in down are blackish-brown 

 above and greyish-brown beneath (Seebohm). 



