254 
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 
neck, being concealed by some thick, overhanging, black feathers, 
but on separating the latter the band becomes visible : the feathers 
which form these narrow stripes are white, streaked down their 
centre with black, and, what is a remarkable peculiarity, their 
webs project above the common surface; below this a broad band 
of dark glossy green and violet, which is blended behind with the 
plumage of the back ; the lower part of the neck, and the sides of 
the breast, are ribbed in the same manner as the band above ; be- 
low the chin a few stripes of the same ; the whole of the upper parts 
are of a deep black, slightly glossed with green, and thickly spot- 
ted with white, in regular transverse or semicircular rows, two 
spots on the end of each feather — those on the upper part of the 
back, shoulders, rump and tail coverts, small and roundish, those 
on the centre of the back square and larger, those on the scapulars 
are the largest, and of an oblong square shape ; the wing feathers 
and tail are plain brown black, the latter composed of twenty fea- 
thers ; the lower parts are pure white, a slight dusky line across 
the vent; the scapulars descend over the wing, when closed, and 
the belly feathers ascend so as to meet them, by which means 
every part of the wing is concealed, except towards the tip ; the 
outside of the legs and feet is black, inside lead colour; the leg is 
four inches in length, and the foot measures, along the exterior toe 
to the tip of its claw, four inches and three quarters ; both legs and 
feet are marked with five-sided polygons. Weight of the speci- 
men described eight pounds and a half. 
The female Diver is somewhat less than the male ; the bill is 
yellowish ; crown, back part of the neck, and whole upper parts, 
pale brown ; the plumage of part of the back and scapulars is tip- 
ped with pale ash ; the throat, lower side of the neck, and whole 
under parts, are white, but not so pure as that of the male, having 
a yellowish tinge ; the quill feathers dark brown. She has no ap- 
pearance of bands on her neck, or of spots on her body. 
