194 
COLYMBIM. 
THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 
Imber Diver. 
Colymbus glacialis, Linn. 
Is a regular winter visitant to the coast, remaining from 
five to six months, and is occasionally met with in 
summer. 
The earliest note before me of its seasonal visit to Belfast 
Bay appears under October 21, 1834, when I saw one which 
had been captured a few days before in the net of a Garrick- 
fergus fisherman. This bird had previously a narrow escape from 
his “ long lines,” as a hook was in its mouth when taken, proving 
that it had been making free with some fish-bait. Had this diver 
escaped hook and net, neither of which was intended for its 
capture, it would have attained full plumage the following spring.* 
As these birds sometimes occur throughout the summer, the latest 
period of their stay in spring, or time of departure northward, 
cannot be stated; but on the 26th of April, 1831, an individual 
in fine adult plumage was killed in the bay already named : its 
“ weight was 12 lbs. ; length 3 feet ; eyes hazel.” On the 26th of 
May, 1840, a specimen in full plumage, captured on one of the 
banks in that bay, was brought on sale to Belfast; — on the 7th 
of May, 1844, an immature male was shot there. Two were 
seen, about a mile apart from each other, on the sea off Donagha- 
dee, on the 5th of May, 1846. On the 21st of April, 1847, 
two pair were observed, the one about the Copeland Islands, the 
other off Bangor ; — they were all immature. Several other 
Colymbij seen on that day but not very near, were believed to be 
of this species. Nine appeared in a flock near Carrickfergus, on 
the 2nd of May, 1849, and admitted of a sufficiently near ap- 
proach for two of them to be wounded by a large shoulder- gun : 
* See notice of the depth at which this species has been taken in nets, under 
Gannet. 
