GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 285 



Such was one found on the 5th July, 1835, in Labrador, and which was 

 placed within three yards of the edge of a considerable pond of limpid 

 water, supposed to have been produced by the melting of the snow, and 

 upwards of a mile distant from the sea. Of the many nests which I have 

 examined, I have found more containing three than two eggs, and I am 

 confident that the former number is that which more frequently occurs, 

 although many European, and some American writers, who probably never 

 saw a nest of this bird, allege the contrary. The eggs average three inches 

 and three quarters in length, by two inches and a quarter in their greatest 

 breadth, and thus are considerably elongated, being particularly narrowed 

 from the bulge to the smaller end, which is rather pointed. They are of a 

 dull greenish-ochry tint, rather indistinctly marked with spots of dark 

 umber, which are more numerous toward the larger extremity. The weight 

 of two of these eggs, containing young nearly ready to emerge, was ten 

 ounces and a half. In Maine the Loon lays fully a month earlier than in 

 Labrador, and about the same period as on the Wabash. 



On approaching the female while sitting on her eggs, I assured myself 

 that she incubates with her body laid flat upon them, in the same way as 

 the domestic Duck, and that, on perceiving the intruder, she squats close, 

 and so remains until he is almost over her, when she springs up with great 

 force, and makes at once for the water, in a scrambling and sliding manner, 

 pushing herself along the ground. On gaining the water, she dives at once, 

 emerges at a great distance, and very rarely suffers herself to be approached 

 within gunshot. Sometimes they swim so deeply immersed as scarcely to 

 be perceptible, and keep as much as possible among the rushes and other 

 water plants. When the eggs are on the eve of being hatched, the mother, 

 when disturbed, often cries loudly and dismally for some time, but seldom 

 flies off. At other times, when I found the eggs to have been recently laid, 

 the bird, on reaching the water, and diving, swam lightly, flapping its wings, 

 drank once or twice, and moved about at a respectful distance. On such 

 occasions, should you persist in watching it, it rises on wing and flies off. 

 Should you not mark the spot in which the nest is, but leave it to go in 

 pursuit of the bird, you may search for hours before finding it, for the path 

 leading from the water to it is generally covered over by the herbage. Once 

 while approaching a spot in which I knew a Loon to be engaged in forming 

 her nest, I was disappointed at not finding her at work: her keen sense of 

 hearing had apprised her of my purpose, and cunningly must she have 

 slipped away, for, on finding her absent, although I had not heard any noise, 

 I happened to look toward the water, and there she was, gliding off in the 

 quiet manner usual on such occasions. 



The young of the Loon are covered at birth with a kind of black stiff 



