292 



GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 



narrow scutella, the second toe with a free two-lobed membrane; claws very 

 small, depressed, blunt. 



Plumage short and dense; of the head and neck very short, and blended; 

 of the lower parts blended, short, with slight gloss; of the upper compact, 

 glossy; the feathers in general oblong, those of the upper parts with the 

 extremity abrupt. Wings proportionally very small and narrow, curved; 

 primaries strong, tapering, the first longest, the second almost as long, the 

 rest rapidly graduated; secondaries broad, and rounded. Tail extremely 

 short, rounded, of twenty feathers. 



Bill black. Iris deep bright red. Feet, tarsi, and toes, of a livid greyish- 

 blue, their inner sides tinged with pale yellowish flesh-colour; claws black, 

 lighter at the base; webs brownish-black, lighter in the middle. Head and 

 neck dark greenish-blue, with purple reflections. On the throat a small 

 transverse patch of white, longitudinally striated with dusky; about the 

 middle of the neck, two large patches of the same, separated in front to the 

 distance of an inch, behind continuous, but when the feathers are laid close, 

 appearing as if separated by a longitudinal dark band about half an inch in 

 breadth. The under parts glossy white, excepting the feathers on the sides 

 under the wing, which are black, each with two, three, or four elliptical 

 white spots, a faint dusky band across the vent, the lower tail-coverts, which 

 are brownish-black tipped with white, and the axillar feathers and larger 

 wing-coverts, which have a dusky streak along the middle. The sides of 

 the neck at its lower part are longitudinally streaked with black and white, 

 there being two oblong spots of the latter on each feather towards the end. 

 The upper parts are glossy black, variegated with spots of white in regular 

 transverse slightly-curved lines having the convexity backwards. These 

 spots vary in form and size, being small and roundish towards the neck and 

 sides, larger and somewhat four-sided along the middle of the back: largest 

 and rectangular on the scapulars, very small and roundish on the hind part 

 of the back and tail-coverts. The upper part of the wing is similar, with 

 smallish spots; the alula and quill brownish-black, a few of the inner 

 secondaries only having two white spots at their extremity. Tail brownish- 

 black, paler at the tip. 



Adult Male. Adult Male. Young. 



Length to the end of tail, 



claws, 



wings, 



carpal joint, 



Extent of wings, 

 Wing from flexure, 





36 



314 



3H 



40i 



36 



SU 



— 



OQ 3. 



~y 4 



16f 



— 



I6i 



5U 



52 



54i 



151 



— 



14* 



