DOMESTIC HABITS OF RED-THROATED DIVER. 217 
It is, perhaps, in relation to their more advanced age that the 
system of feeding them seems different to that employed with the 
ones I have been watching. 
August 2nd.—Rose at 3 a.m., in order to get to the last- 
mentioned pair of young Divers in the quite early morning. It 
was then not light, nor did it become so till much later than I 
had expected here. I could have found my way, however, but 
for a heavy mist, which obliged me to stop and wait a long time, 
so that I was only in situ at a few minutes past 6. At 6.40 the 
parent bird flew in with a large fish, which he gave to the chick 
first up. Then, for a little, he swam about in a somewhat 
affairé or conscious manner, and the chicks followed excitedly, 
putting their heads down on the water, and ploughing it, thus, in 
swift little rushes. At 6.48 the parent flies off, and the next 
visit is at just a minute before 7. No doubt a fish was brought 
and given, as before—at least, I suppose so—but this time I see - 
nothing, as all three birds get close under the bank nearest me, 
and are thus quite hidden. After they come out I notice the 
dam several times lower its head to just above the water, the neck 
stretched out, and in this attitude swim several times excitedly 
up and down before the chicks, going but a little way, each time, 
and whilst he does this he utters a short double note which I 
find myself unable to transcribe. The exit is at 7.12. 
I stayed till 8, and then, supposing that the morning visits 
had come to an end, having probably commenced much earlier, 
I walked to the pool, and, whilst standing on its margin, the 
dam came whizzing just over my head, and came down on the 
water but a few yards away from me. Whether it had dropped 
or swallowed it, in alarm, upon seeing me, I do not know, but it 
had no fish in its bill after pitching, and the chicks were left 
unfed when it, shortly afterwards, flew off in affright. This was 
an unfortunate incident, for when I returned in the evening, 
hoping to see the feeding renewed, I found only one chick on the 
pool, and, though I waited till 7, the parent bird did not come 
in. It seems as though the one chick had left the pool—pro- 
bably under the auspices of the parent, in consequence of the 
fright given to the latter. I have no doubt that, otherwise, 
the feeding would have gone on as usual, but the parent bird 
may now have feared to return, or may have been attending 
Zool. 4th ser. vol. XVI., June, 1912. Ss 
