LOON. 309 



the feathers on the back and wings brown, with paler margins ; the 

 throat and part of the neck before, spotted black and white ; quills and 

 tail brown, and in some dusky, edged with white ; the whole under parts 

 white, with a little brown about the vent ; legs dusky ; the general 

 colour is less bright than the male above, and dusky beneath. 



It should appear that the size of this species has been commonly ex- 

 aggerated, or they must vary very materially, since those which have 

 come under our examination did not exceed ten pounds, and an old or 

 matared male measured only two feet eight inches. A young- female 

 before the plumage was perfected, weighed eight pounds six ounces, 

 and measured two feet seven inches in length. This young female 

 killed in January, has the upper part of the head, back, and sides of the 

 neck dusky black ; backs and scapulars black, obscurely marked with 

 cinereous spots ; in a few places the matured feathers appear on the 

 scapulars of a deeper glossy-black, marked with the clear white quad- 

 rangular spots as in the adult : the coverts of the wings, rump, and 

 upper part of the thighs black, with numerous small, pure white spots : 

 the sides of the lower neck and breast, continuing along the sides of 

 the body under the wings, streaked black and white ; the whole under 

 parts of the bird, from chin to vent, white : the tail is short and 

 rounded, consisting of twenty black feathers tipped with white. 



From this immatured specimen we obtain the knowledge of the 

 primary plumage, which is essential, because with so little of the 

 character of the adult, the bird might have been mistaken for some 

 other species, had not the few square spots of white on the scapulars 

 betrayed its title. 



A northern diver, taken alive, was kept in a pond for some months, 

 which gave us an opportunity of attending to its manners. In a few 

 days it became extremely docile, would come at the call, from one side 

 of the pond to the other, and would take food from the hand. The 

 bird had received an injury in the head, which had deprived one eye of 

 its sight, and the other was a little impaired; but, notwithstanding, it 

 could, by incessantly diving, discover all the fish that was thrown into 

 the pond. In defect of fish it would eat flesh. 



It is observable that the legs of this bird are so constructed and 

 situated, as to render it incapable of walking upon them. This is pro- 

 bably the case with all the divers, as well as the grebes. 



When this bird quitted the water, it shoved its body along upon the 

 ground like a seal, by jerks, rubbing the breast against the ground ; 

 and returned again to the water in a similar manner. In swimming 

 and diving, the legs only are used, and not the wings, as in the guille- 

 mot and auk tribes ; and by their situation so far behind, and their 



