610 



stripes, below which another broad band of white stripes goes almost round the neck, being only 

 narrowly interrupted in front and behind; upper parts generally black, glossed with steel-blue and 

 purple, and closely spotted with broad, irregular oval white spots ; quills and tail blackish ; underparts 

 white, the sides of the lower throat and upper breast striped with purplish black, the flanks purplish 

 black spotted with white ; a dark band crosses the crissum ; and the under tail-coverts next to the tail 

 are blackish tipped with white ; bill blackish horn, the edge of the mandibles and tip of the bill light 

 bluish horn; iris rich reddish; legs blackish, though lighter on the inner side. Total length about 

 32 inches, culmen 4 - 4, wing 158, tail 32, tarsus 3'6. 



Adult Female (Point Lepreaux, New Brunswick). Resembles the male, but is smaller, measuring — culmen 

 3'5, wing 13 - 5, tail 32, tarsus 32. 



Young. Crown, nape, and upper parts dull brownish black, some of the feathers with light edgings, and a 

 few white spots just appearing on the scapulars and wing-coverts ; quills blackish, the inner webs 

 brownish ; tail with grey tips ; chin, throat, and underparts white ; bill white, with the exception of a 

 dark mark down the upper ridge, extending almost to the point ; inside of mouth dirty white ; eye 

 warm olive-brown ; legs black outside and white inside, with light-grey edges ; toes black, webs white, 

 with the veins showing very plain down the centre. 



This, the largest of the genus Colymbus which inhabits the Palsearctic Region, is nearly circum- 

 polar in its range ; for it inhabits the whole of Northern Europe, Asia, and America, in suitable 

 localities, except that in North-west America it is replaced by a very closely allied form, Colymbus 

 aclamsi. In the winter season it straggles as far south in the Palsearctic Region as to the Medi- 

 terranean, and in America as far down as Texas. 



In Great Britain it is a straggler to most parts of our coasts in the autumn and winter; but 

 though it has been stated to breed in Scotland, I can find no clear evidence to show that such is 

 the case. As a rule, immature examples are seen, and but seldom birds in fully adult dress, 

 though these latter have been recorded from most parts of the coasts of Great Britain. It is by 

 no means of unfrequent occurrence in the south of England ; for I have seen many examples 

 which have been shot off the south coast, and, according to Mr. Cecil Smith (B. of Guernsey, 

 p. 173), it is a common autumn and winter visitant to the Channel Islands, arriving late in 

 October or early in November. There is, he adds, one Guernsey-killed specimen in nearly 

 perfect breeding-dress ; but there is no reason to believe that it ever remains to breed there. It 

 occurs regularly all along the east coast, and in the Humber district is found, Mr. Cordeaux 

 states (B. of Humb. Distr. p. 181), " every autumn and winter off our shores, generally birds in 

 the immature and winter plumage. The adult in the breeding-dress is far less commonly met 

 with. This fine species is well known to our fishermen as the Herring-Loon ; they keep princi- 

 pally to the open sea, but in very severe weather come occasionally within the river ; and several 

 instances are recorded of their capture far inland." Mr. Hancock says that it is somewhat rare 

 off the coasts of Northumberland and Durham ; and he adds that he possesses a specimen shot as 

 late as the 22nd of May. 



" In the west of Scotland," Mr. Robert Gray writes (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 411), " this 

 splendid Diver is a very common species, being widely distributed from the Mull of Galloway 

 to Cape Wrath in the north of Sutherlandshire. In the Outer Hebrides it is also very abundant ; 

 and, as a rule, it is found there at all seasons of the year, except during the month of July. 



