THE SEA DIVER. 251 



Descriptions. 



as the nostrils,, that part of the neck next to the 

 head is covered with feathers set so exceedingly 

 thick, that it looks as large as the head itself, 

 the lower parts of the body are white; the upper 

 parts of a dusky sort of dark grey, speckled over 

 with white spots, which are larger upon the 

 wings than on the rest of the body ; the fore toes 

 are very long, especially the outermost, the back 

 toes are but little, and short, the legs of a brown 

 colour, and not very long, and are placed so 

 back, that the bird seems scarce able to walk 

 without erecting itself perpendicularly on its tail 

 which is very short. Some of these birds hav 

 a sort of ring, about their necks, with blacker 

 heads, and sprinkled w r ith little white specks, and 

 lines ; others are more grey , or ash-coloured, and 

 varied with white specks, but no lines, which 

 may perhaps be the distinction between the cocks 

 and the hens. 



THE SEA DIVER 



WEIGHS about three pounds; the bill is up- 

 ward of two inches and a half long ; the whole 

 body is covered with fine soft thick feathers, the 

 head and neck of a brown colour, but the back 

 darker, each side or the body more dusky, the 

 breast and belly inclining pretty much to a silver 

 colour. It has not any tail at all; the outermost 

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