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The Great Northern Diver or Loon, 
(Colymbus torquatus.) One of our well- 
known writers on ornithology gives this 
bird “ as known to breed occasionally 
within the limits of New England,” “ but 
more conspicuous inWinter than Summer.” 
If this is the case, our section must be one 
of those favored places; for with us it is a 
common Summer bird and rarely seen in 
Winter. It is known to breed regularly at 
Bow Pond, Strafford, where numbers of 
birds and nests are annually seen. I my¬ 
self possess an egg which was obtained 
from there, measuring 3^-x2£, and of the 
usual color.— IP. E. Jenkins , Northwood , 
N. II. o.&O. IX. Eeb. 188-1*.P-- 2 -<3 
Loons at Poland, Me. 
BY G. II. R., BOSTON. 
The writer took advantage of an opportunity 
that enabled him to spend tire collecting season of 
'85 at Poland, Me., where lie arrived on the after¬ 
noon of June 22d. 
The place, to liis thinking, promised much as a 
field of ornithological research, (which promise 
was afterwards abundantly verified,) being situa¬ 
ted in the midst of large woods and fields, witli 
numerous lakes and ponds lying almost at the 
door. Without much trouble, an able assistant, 
whom we will call Ross, was found in the person 
of an enthusiastic and experienced local sports¬ 
man who was thoroughly acquainted with the 
surrounding country. Monday, June 29th, was 
the day set for an excursion after Loons’ nests, 
which, as ho was informed, were to be found in 
the “Range Ponds,” one or more pairs regularly 
nesting there every year. We started in the 
morning, I with my little 32-calibre skeleton rifle 
and Ross with his 22, with which I soon found 
he could do remarkable work, and after twenty 
minutes brisk rowing, emerged into the head of 
the pond, but nothing in the shape of a Loon 
could be seen or heard. We pulled up the right 
hand side of the pond until we rounded a point, 
disclosing what appeared to be the mouth of a 
small stream, which terminated in a circular¬ 
shaped basin of water or swamp so thickly filled 
with rank grass, dead trees and floating islands 
that a boat could barely be forced through. 
The stream and basin were surrounded by a 
heavy growth of tall Pines and Birches, dead at 
the water’s edge, making the whole place damp 
and gloomy in the extreme. Just as we reached 
the edge of the basin the loud cry of a Loon was 
heard at the mouth of the stream, directly behind 
us. Seeing us approach, she had slipped off her 
nest, and diving, swam under us, came up away 
in our rear. “ There she is,” said Ross, “and she 
has a nest somewhere in this place close to the 
water.” Standing up for a better view, the first 
sight upon which the writer’s eyes rested, within 
ten feet of the boat, was a mound-shaped hillock, 
with a slight depression at the top, in which were 
two large dark colored eggs, which were immedi¬ 
ately appropriated. The nest was built upon the 
extreme edge of a floating island, of weeds, sods 
and water grass, among which were to be seen 
some dead sticks, evidently put there to give 
solidity to the structure, and was nearly as large 
around as a bushel basket and about eight inches 
high. The eggs were beauties, averaging 3.76x 
2.37, of a dark drab color and covered with 
darker spots, thickest at the greater end. When 
found, the under part of the eggs was wet, show¬ 
ing that the weight of the bird, when on, sunk 
the nest partly under water. 
While I was jotting down minutes in my note 
book a second Loon was heard, and both birds 
were seen at the mouth of the stream, trying to 
attract our attention from the nest by loud cries 
and flapping of wings. Ross set me ashore and 
went back to the nest while I crept through the 
underbush until I got within fifty yards of them. 
Waiting until the female rose in the water, pre¬ 
senting a good mark, I fired. The report had not 
died away before the head of the bird dropped 
forward into the water and I knew I had bagged 
her, as it is a peculiarity of those birds when shot 
that only the head settles forward and the body 
continues to float, like a Duck with its head 
under water. Slipping another cartridge into 
the barrel I waited for the other to rise. He was 
down only a few seconds and came up a little 
way off, but immediately swam to his mate. 
Again getting a fair shot I fired, and although I 
heard the thud of the bullet as it struck him, he 
dove and came up nearly half a mile out into the 
pond. Ross came up with the boat and we gave 
chase, but it was only after half a day’s hard work 
and a large expenditure of cartridges, that he was 
finally brought to by a splendid shot by Ross. 
O.&O. X.Nov.1885.1 
