THE RED-TIIROATED DIVER. 
183 
giddy flight, and now, with fantastic glidings and curves, they dive towards 
the spot of their choice. Alighted on the water, how gracefully they swim, 
how sportively they beat it with their strong pinions, how quickly they 
plunge and rise again, and how joyously do they manifest to each other the 
depth and intensity of their affection ! Now with erected neck and body 
deeply immersed they swim side by side. Reynard they perceive cunningly 
^advancing at a distance ; but they are too vigilant for him, and down like a 
flash they go, nor rise again until far beyond his reach. Methinks I see 
them curiously concealed among the rank weeds under the bank of their 
own islet, their bills alone raised above the water, and there will they remain 
for an hour, rather than shew themselves to their insidious enemy, who, 
disappointed, leaves them to pursue their avocations. 
The Red-throated Diver is found, in tolerable abundance, on the sea-coast 
of the United States during autumn, winter, and early spring, from Maryland 
to the extremities of Maine. The younger the birds, the farther south do 
they proceed to spend the winter, and it is rare to see an old bird, of either 
sex, at any season to the south of the Bay of Boston. Farther eastward 
they become more common, and they may be said to be plentiful towards 
the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, in the vicinity of which a few remain and 
breed. I found some in December, January, and February at Boston, where 
I procured males, females, and young birds. The old had the red patch on 
the throat rather darker than in the breeding season ; the delicate grey and 
white lines on the neck were as pure as I observed them to be during 
summer in Labrador ; and I have since been convinced that birds of this 
family undergo very little if any change of colouring after they have once 
acquired their perfect plumage, the Loon and the Black-throated Diver 
being included in this remark ; while, on the contrary, all the Grebes with 
which I am acquainted, lose the beauty of their plumage as soon as the 
breeding season is over. This remarkable difference between the Divers 
and the Grebes would of itself be sufficient to separate the two genera, were 
there not also other distinctions.. The Divers, moreover, live on the sea 
during the greater part of the year, and resort to ponds, lakes, or the borders 
of rivers to breed ; whilst the Grebes spend most of their time on inland 
lakes, marshes, and streams. Immediately after the breeding season, as soon 
as the young are able to fly, the families of Divers make their way to the 
arms and inlets of the sea, rarely entering the fresh waters until the follow- 
ing spring. 
The Red-throated Diver is at all times an extremely shy and vigilant 
bird, ever on the alert to elude its numerous enemies. The sight of man 
seems invariably to alarm it, even in the wildest countries in which it 
breeds. I have often observed that, while yet several hundred yards from 
