800 Rev. Dr Flcining’s Gleanings of 'Natural History 
plement to his Ornithological Dictionary (Exeter, 1813), article 
Diver — Red-throated, with the following remarks r 64 Expe- 
rience has shewn that some birds vary in plumage so much, at 
different seasons, that species have been continually multiplied 
from this circumstance alone ; but, in this instance, we are still 
inclined to believe these birds are really distinct. The black- 
throated diver has been described by most naturalists as a dis- 
tinct species, and appears to have been particularly noticed as 
an inhabitant of the arctic regions, where they breed, and after- 
wards retire. It must, however, be admitted, that the black- 
throated diver is extremely rare on the coast of Britain; a cir- 
cumstance that must favour the Opinion, that the black on the 
throat may vanish after the breeding season, and be substituted 
by the ferruginous feathers which characterise the red-throated 
species. But it must also be remembered that this is not the 
only distinguishing mark, for if we attend to the descriptions of 
the two birds, there is a material difference in other parts of the 
plumage. It may, however, be urged, that these are as likely 
to change with the season as the feathers on the throat. We 
have given these hints as the result of the observations of a cor- 
rect naturalist, in order to stimulate those who may have the 
means of clearly ascertaining the fact not to lose the opportunity. 
One of the principal objects of inquiry appears to be this ; has 
the black throated diver been observed in winter ?” Great con- 
fusion, indeed, prevails in the characters of the species of the 
restricted genus Colymbus, which the more recent writers on 
ornithology have failed to remove. M. Cuvier, in his u Regne 
Animal,” i. p. 508., unites under one species — “ Le grand 
Plongion,” the Colymbus glacialis , arcticus , and immer ; * and 
under another, “ Le petit Plongion,” the Colymbus septentrio - 
nalis and stellatus. M. Temminck, in his very valuable 44 Ma- 
nuel d’Ornithologie,” (Paris, 1820), ii. p. 910., agrees with 
Cuvier, in adding the C. immer to glacialis , and C. stellatus to 
septentrionalis , but he preserves the C. arcticus as a distinct 
species. It is probable, however, that while C. glacialis in- 
cludes the immer as the young, and C. arcticus includes the 
septentrionalis as the female, the C. stellatus is entitled to rank 
as a separate species. The superior strength of the bill, its 
horn-colour, and the shortness of its lower mandible, sufficiently 
