OF NATURE. 223 



down dropped a partridge at my feet : the 

 dog immediately seized it, and on exa- 

 mination" I found the blood flow very fast 

 from a fresh wound in the head, but there 

 was some dry clotted blood on its wings 

 and side ; whence I concluded that a hawk 

 had singled out my wounded bird as the 

 object of his prey, and had struck it down 

 the instant that my approach had obliged 

 the birds to rise on the wing : but the 

 space between the hedges was so small,, 

 and the motion of the birds so instanta- 

 neous and quick, that I could not distinctly 

 observe the operation. Markwick. 



GREAT SPECKLED DIVER, OR LOON, 



As one of my neighbours was traversing 

 Wolmer forest from Bramshot across the 

 moors, he found a large uncommon bird 

 fluttering in the heath, but not wounded^ 

 which he brought home alive. On exa- 

 mination it proved to be coli/mhus glacialis 

 Linn, the great speckled diver or loon. 



