making very great progress daring Its submarine flight, as we experleneed when In ehase of this bird In a 
light and handy boat upon Loch Awe. Our utmost exertion could never bring us within range ; and we were 
often foiled by its returning on its former track and reappearing in a direction contrary to that in which it 
seemed to have dived ; its progress, we should think, could not have been much under the rate of eight 
miles an hour. It lives upon fish, aquatic insects, and such other food as it procures under water. Its skin 
is highly ])rized by the Esquimaux and Indians for its warmth and beauty, and numbers of them are dressed 
and made into garments. 
“ When in Sutherlandshlre, we found this species upon most of the lochs of the interior. The first we 
noticed was at the foot of Loch Shin, where we w'ere so fortunate as to find the nest, or rather the two 
eggs, upon the hare ground of a small islet removed about ten or twelve feet from the water’s edge. The 
female was in the act of incubation, sitting horizontally, and not in an upright position, upon the eggs. In 
[)lumage slie precisely resembled the male, and when fired at immediately swam or rather dived off to him 
at a short distance. Our pursuit after them was, how^ever, ineffectual, though persevered in for a long- 
time, as it was impossible to calculate where they were likely to rise after diving. Submersion frequently 
continued for nearly two minutes at a time, and they generally reappeared at a quarter of a mile’s distance 
from the spot where they had gone down. In no instance have I ever seen them attempt to escape by 
taking wing. I may mention that a visible track from the water to the eggs was made by the female, 
whose progress upon land is effected by shuffling along upon her belly, propelled by her legs behind. 
On the day following (Saturday, the 31st of May), Mr. J. Wilson was fortunate enough to find two newly 
hatched young ones in a small creek at Loch Craggie, about two miles and a half from Lairg. After 
handling and examining them, during which the old birds approached very near to him, he left them in 
the same spot, knowing that we were anxious to obtain the old birds. Accordingly on the Monday morning 
we had the boat conveyed to the loch, and on our arrival soon descried the two old birds attended by 
their young, and apparently moving to a different part of the loch. Contrary to their usual habit at 
other times, they did not attempt to dive upon our approach, but kept swimming around their young, 
which, from their tender age, were unable to make much way in the water ; and we got sufficiently near to 
shoot both of them through the neck and head, the only parts accessible to shot, as they swim with the 
whole body nearly submerged. The female could only be distinguished from the male by a slight inferiority 
of size, and both were in the finest adult or summer plumage. We afterwards saw several pairs upon 
various lochs, and upon Loch Kay a pair, attended by two young ones nearly half grown. ’ILlien SAvImming, 
they are in the constant habit of dipping the bill in the water, with a graceful motion of the head and neck.” 
The eggs, according to Mr. Yarrell, measure two inches and three-quarters in length by one inch and 
ten lines in breadth, and are of a dark olive-brown, thinly spotted w'lth dark umber-brown. 
During a visit to Norway in the early part of the month of July 1856, I saw several Black-throated 
Divers sporting about In the Bay of Drontheim, and I could not help admiring the pretty markings 
of their necks, and their quiet demeanour as they circled round each other on the then glassy surface of the 
water. These birds, which were wdthin a quarter of a mile of the town, appeared happy and contented, no 
molestation being offered them. The Nonvegians have an idea that the bird is a most excellent weather- 
prophet. The SAvedes dress its skin, Avhich, like those of all the other members of the genus, 
is exceedingly tough, and use it for gun-cases, facings for Avinter caps, &c. Richard Daun, Esq., 
informed Mr. Yarrell that “ this beautiful Diver is AAudely and numerously dispersed over the Avhole of 
Scandinavia during the summer months, but is most abundant in the northern parts. It breeds in the 
interior of the country, on small islands In the most secluded and retired lakes. In Laj)land and the Dofre 
Fiell mountains it is found as high as the birch-tree groAA^s. It makes its first appearance in the spring, 
Avith the breaking-up of the ice on the lakes. ’iYithin tvA'elve hours of open water being seen, this bird 
never fails to shoAv itself. The. eggs, tAvo in number, have a rank fishy taste, but are much sought after bv 
the Laps. After the young are hatched, both male and female are very assiduous in bringing them food, 
and at that ])eriod are much on the Aving, and may be seen flying at a vast height, Avith fish in their beaks, 
from one lake to another ; on arriving over the lake AA-here they intend to alight, they descend very suddenly 
in an oblique direction. The cries of the DIa'ci* are A^ery peculiar during the breeding-season, and may be 
heard at a great distance. The bird is very quick-sighted, and A-ery difficult of approach; it takes wing 
Avith great reluctance, but dlA CS incessantly, taking care to come up far out of shot.” 
The Plate represents the bird in its nuptial dress, about one-fifth less than its natural size, and reduced 
figures, in the same state, in the distance. 
