GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 
173 
often swimming under water, and as it were flying with the velocity of an 
arrow in the air. Though at length inclining to become docile, and shew- 
ing no alarm when visited, it constantly betrayed its wandering habits, and 
every night was found to have waddled to some hiding place, where it 
seemed to prefer hunger to the lpss of liberty, and never could be restrained 
from exercising its instinct to move, onwards to some secure or more suitable 
asylum.” 
The same valued friend has corroborated the result of my observations 
respecting the number of eggs usually laid by this species, by stating as 
follows : “ About the 11th of June, through the kindness of Dr. J. W. 
Harris, I received three eggs, which had been taken from the nest of a 
Loon, made in a hummock, or elevated grassy hillock, at Sebago Pond, in 
New Hampshire.” 
The range of this species is immense. It occurs on the waters that fall 
into the Pacific Ocean, and has been observed on the Columbia river. In 
the Fur Countries it is plentiful ; and, as I have already stated, it breeds in 
many parts' of the United States. It is found equally in Europe, and the 
northern parts of Asia. In all these countries it moves southward on the 
approach of winter, and returns when the mild weather commences in spring. 
Unlike the Cormorant, the Loon usually swallows its food under the 
water, unless when it happens to bring up a shell-fish or a crustaceous 
animal, "which it munches for awhile before it swallows it. Fishes of 
numerous kinds, aquatic insects, water-lizards, frogs and leeches, have been 
found by me in its stomach, in which there is also generally much coarse 
gravel, and sometimes the roots of fresh-water plants. 
Although the flesh of the Loon is not very palatable, being tough, rank, 
and dark-coloured, I have seen it much relished by many lovers of good- 
living, especially at Boston, where it was not unfrequently served almost 
raw at the table of the house where I boarded. 
A female bird particularly examined by me presented the following 
appearances. From the point of the bill to the end of the tail it measured 
34 inches ; to the claws 41 ; the extended wings were 71 ; the bill measured 
5 inches along the gap ; the breadth of the body was 8 inches, its depth only 
four ; the wings were 2 inches shorter than the tail ; and the weight was 10 
lbs. 11 oz. avoirdupois. The first primary was longest. The trachea, which 
was even and flattened, being in diameter about -f of an inch by \ inch, was 
16 inches long. The eggs were numerous. The gizzard was moderate, and 
contained many large pebbles. The intestines were 7 feet long, and about 
the same size as a Swan’s quill. Every bone and sinew was strong and 
tough. The tongue resembled in shape and size that of the Ivory-billed 
Woodpecker. The bones of the wing and leg were almost solid, the cavity 
