THE RED-THROATED DIVER. 
185 
for of five nests, two contained two eggs each, two 'had three each, and the 
fifth had three young birds. The eggs measure 3 inches in length by II in 
breadth, and are of an elongated elliptical form, nearly equally rounded at 
both ends ; they are of a deep olive-brown colour, irregularly marked with 
spots of a darker dull brown. The male incubates as well as the female, and 
both are extremely solicitous about the safety of their young, which betake 
themselves to the water on the day succeeding that of their escape from the 
egg, and are from the first most expert swimmers and divers. Two of the 
young were shot by Captain Emery, having been easily approached in the 
absence of their parents, at which he had shot without success, they not 
having yet learned from experience the danger of the proximity of man. 
They dived beautifully, and swam with great buoyancy, inclining their necks 
forwards, in the manner of the old birds. This was on the 5th of July, 
1833. On the 15th of the same month, Thomas Lincoln and my son John 
Woodhouse, saw several young ones, which, although quite small, were 
equally expert at diving. When swimming by the side of their mother 
they floated high, with the neck quite erect, while the old bird swam deep, 
with her neck inclined forward. When the little ones dived, they moved 
under the water like so many turtles, and at last were caught on the bottom 
of the pond, which was small and shallow, by placing the gun-rods upon 
them. So averse from moving are the old birds when sittiug on their eggs, 
that they will not bestir themselves until in imminent danger, on which, 
however, they scramble to the water, dive, and on emerging, immediately 
rise on wing without uttering any note. The male only is noisy on- such 
occasions, and more especially when it returns from afar to its mate, when it 
evinces its satisfaction by calling aloud, as it repeatedly passes and repasses 
over the spot, and then alights in a pompous manner on the water. 
The sexes differ materially in size, the male birds being much larger than 
the females, and weighing at an average fully a pound more. These birds 
are extremely tenacious of life. One which my son shot on the wing fell, 
dived instantly, and swam to a considerable distance under water, but re- 
turned to the surface, back downwards, and quite dead. 
The notes of the Red-throated Diver are harsh and rather loud ; they 
resemble the' syllables cac, cac, cac, car ah,' car ah, enounced in rapid suc- 
cession. In some instances the young men of my party found that the most 
successful method of approaching these birds whilst on the water, was to run 
as fast as possible towards them and shout loudly, for on such occasions the 
birds dived instead of flying at once, and on emerging again, afforded them 
much better chances as they took to wing. At certain times, when 
approached while they have young, they utter a soft plaintive note, which 
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