In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



195 



them, and he spent some time in watching them feed their young, 

 which was most interesting. One pair he noticed in June, and the 

 other pair early in July. 



Colymbus Arcticus. " The Black-throated Diver." This bird is 

 a much rarer bird with us than the preceding one; not so large, 

 but when in adult breeding plumage quite as handsome. Mr. 

 Baker writes me word that one of these birds was killed near 

 Salisbury, in December, 1872, and sent to King, of Warminster, to 

 be set up, where he saw it. The bird was in transition plumage. 

 He has another specimen, also, in his own collection, killed at Seaton, 

 in the winter of 1873. Hart had three birds, sent him in almost 

 perfect summer dress, on December 19th, 1874, and one in the 

 winter of 1882-3. He has one of quite perfect plumage, but this 

 was in his father's collection, and was obtained in the district many 

 years back. Mr. E. Jacob, of the Close, writes me, " I sent Ward, 

 in Piccadilly, two Black-throated Divers that I shot in Sweden ; he 

 wrote to say that he had never received two such perfect specimens 

 before ; he has mounted them as I suggested, on artificial water, 

 and they are now in his window (August 1884), in Piccadilly, and 

 every day the centre of an admiring crowd, as I witnessed myself 

 last week." 



Colymbus Septentrionalis. "The Red-throated Diver." This 

 bird is much more common than the preceding one, and is more 

 often found inland ; and is much smaller in its dimensions altogether 

 than the last two species. Mr. Baker has one which was captured, 

 after a severe storm, on Knoyle Down — it was exhausted, and not 

 able to rise, and Mr. R. Godwin struck it down with a riding-whip, 

 and so secured it. They are frequent in winter on our south coast ; 

 and would seem to hold their summer plumage, occasionally, through- 

 out the winter. Hart killed one on October 11th, 1881, in summer 

 garb, and another, about the same time, changing its dress. As 

 with all the other Divers, it presents a very different appearance in 

 the winter plumage, in which it is generally seen. Mr. Hinxman 

 found many pairs of them breeding in Scotland, and Mr. E. Jacob 

 tells me they abound in Norway, where he could have procured any 

 number of specimens in full summer plumage that he wanted. 



