*42 C O L Y 
Wolmer fore ft from Bramfhot acrofs the moors, he found 
a large uncommon bird fluttering in the heath, but not 
wounded, which he brought home alive. On examina¬ 
tion it proved to be colymbus glacialis. Every part and 
proportion of this bird is fo incomparably adapted to its 
mode of life, that in no inftance do we fee the wifdom of 
God in the creation to more advantage. The head is 
(harp, and imaller than the part of the neck adjoining, in 
order that it may pierce the water ; the wings are placed 
forward and out of the center of gravity, tor a purpofe 
noticed hereafter; the thighs quite at the podex in order 
•to facilitate diving; and the legs are flat, an,d as fliarp 
backwards almolt as the edge of a knife, that in ltriking 
they may ealily cut the water; while the feet are pal- 
mated, and broad for fw.imming, yet fo folded up when 
advanced forward to take a freflt ftroke, as to be full as 
narrow as the Ihank. The two exterior toes of the feet 
are longeft; the nails flat and broad refembling the hu¬ 
man, which give (frength and increafe the power of fwifri- 
ming. The foot, when expanded, is not at right angles 
to the leg or body of the bird ; but the exterior part in¬ 
clining towards the head forms an acute angle with the 
body ; the intention being not to give motion in the line 
of the legs themfelves, but by the combined impulfe of 
both in an intermediate line, the line of the body. Moll 
people know, that have obferved at all, that the fwim- 
xning of birds is nothing more than a walking in the wa¬ 
ter, where one foot fucceeds the other as on the land; 
yet no one, as far as I am aware, has remarked that div¬ 
ing fowls, while under water, impel and row themfelves 
forward by a motion of their wings, as well as by the 
impulfe of their feet: but fuch is really the cafe, as any 
perfon may ealily be convinced who will obferve ducks 
w’hen hunted by dogs in a clear pond. Nor do I know 
that any one has given a reafon why the wings of diving 
fowls are placed fo forward: doubtlefs, not for the pur¬ 
pofe of promoting their fpeed in flying, fince that pofition 
certainly impedes it; but probably for the increafe of 
their motion under water, by the ufe of four oars inltead 
of two; yet were the wings and feet nearer together, as 
in land-birds; they would, when in aftion, rather hinder 
than affilt one another. This colymbus was of confidera- 
ble bulk, weighing only three drachms fhort of three 
pounds avoirdupois. It meafured in length from the bill 
to the tail (which was very fhort) two feet; and to the 
extremities of the toes four inches more ; and the breadth 
of the wings expanded was forty-two inches. A perfon 
attempted to eat the body, but found it very ftrong and 
rancid, as is the flefh of all birds living on fifh.” 
23. Colymbus immer, the burner diver; this is lefs 
than the preceding, but mealures upwards of two feet in 
length; bill four inches and a quarter long; the top of 
the head, and hind-part of the neck, are brown ; fore¬ 
head, and fldes of the head and neck, fpeckled ; and the 
back and wings brown ; each feather margined with a 
paler tint; on the middle of the neck che brown comes 
very forward, and almofl furrounds it; above this it is 
fpotted with black and white; except thefe markings, 
all the under parts, from chin to vent, are white; but 
the laft is mottled with brown; quils and tail brown, the 
laft edged with white ; legs dufky. This fpecies is better 
known in the northern parts of England, than the fouth- 
ern, where it feldom appears, except the winter be very 
l'evere. It inhabits the leas about the Orknies, and the 
Ferro ides. Found alfo in Iceland, and moll parts of 
northern Europe; likewife in Kamtl'chatka; but not in 
any part of Siberia or Ruflia. Inhabits Swifl'erland, par¬ 
ticularly on the lake Conflance, where it is known by the 
name o 1 fluder. It dives to very great depths, and fwims 
under water to the diitance of an hundred paces without 
emerging to take breath : a portion of air included in its 
dilated wind-pipe fuppiies its refpiration during this 
interval. The fame is the cafe with other divers and 
grebes; they glide through the water freely in all direc- 
M B U S. 
tions; in it they find their food, their fhelter, their afy- 
lum : when the bird of prey hovers above them, or the 
fowler appears on the fhore, they plunge for fafety. But 
man, more formidable by his addrefs than by his (trength, 
prepares fnares for them, even in the bottom of their re¬ 
treat : a net or a line baited with a final 1 fifh,"allures the 
unwary bird ; it fwallows death with the repaft, and pe- 
rilhes in that element where it received birth ; for its nell 
is placed on the water amidlt the tall ruflies and flags. 
24.. Colymbus ilellatus, the deflated diver; fmaller than 
the preceding; weighs two pounds and a half, twenty- - 
feven inches in length, and three feet nine in breadth u 
tiie bill is three inches long, and bends a little upwards, 
of a pale horn-colour, the top of the upper mandible 
brown; the head is dufky, dotted with grey; the fldes 
under the eye, the chin, and throat, white ; tore-part of 
the neck very pale afh-colour; back moufe-colour, marked 
with oval fpots of white; breaft and under parts white; 
legs brown. This bird is frequent in England, and found 
on the river Thames, where it is called by the filhermen 
fprat loon, being often leen in vail numbers among the 
lhoals of that fifn, diving after them, and frequently ap¬ 
proaching very near the boats while filhing. It is com¬ 
mon about the Baltic and the White Sea, but not obferved 
in other parts of Ruflia, yet is a native of Kamtfchatka. 
It lays two eggs in the gral's, ort the borders of lakes not 
far from the lea ; they are oval, fize of thofe of a goofe, 
and marked with a few black fpots. Thefe birds are fre¬ 
quent about the filh-ponds in France ; and they vilit New 
York in winter, but return very far north to breed. 
25. Colymbus arfticus, the artic diver ; only two feet 
in length ; bill near two inches long, (lender, and black ; 
the fore-part of the head and throat black ; hind-part of 
the head and neck alh-colour; fldes of the lalt white, 
fpotted with black ; on the fore-part of the neck is a large 
patch of black, changing to purple and green in different 
lights ; the back and upper parts black; Icapulars marked 
with fquare fpots of white; wing-coverts the fame, but 
the fpots are round; bread and belly white; tail fhort 
and black; legs black, with a call of red on the infide. 
This bird is rarely found in England. It abounds in the 
northern parts of Europe, Norway, Sweden, ant 1 Den-% 
mark, in the inland lakes of Siberia, efpecially thofe of 
the Arftic regions ; alfo in Iceland, Greenland, and the 
Ferro illes; likewife in America, at Hudfon’s Bay. It is 
faid to cry and be very reltlefs againlt rain, making a 
great noife; hence the Norwegians think it impious to 
deftroy them; but the Swedes, Ids luperllitious, drefs 
their (kins, which, like all of this genus, are exceedingly; 
tough, and ufe them for gun-cafes, and facings for winter 
caps. 
26. Colymbus feptentrionalis, the red-throated diver; 
weighs three pounds, and is two feet five inches in length; 
bill three inches long, black, and (lender; the head and 
chin are cinereous, dotted with brown; the reft of the 
head, fldes of the neck, and throat, afli-colour ; the hind- 
part of the neck longitudinally llreaked with dufky and 
white ; the throat, and part of the neck, of a fine chefnut 
red; from thence the under parts are white; the upper 
parts, wings, and tail, dufky, marked with a few white 
fpots; legs dufky, with a reddifh tinge. This is feldom 
met with fouthward, except in fevere winters. It breeds 
in the northern parts of Scotland, on the borders of the 
lakes ; and is found in Ruflia, Siberia, and Kamtfchatka; 
but does not haunt the inland lakes. It is common in 
Iceland and Greenland; breeds in June, and lays two alh- 
coloured eggs, marked with a few black fpots; making a 
nell in the graft on the fhores, compofed of mofs and 
graft, and placed contiguous to the water. It fwims and 
dives well, and flies admirably, and while flying is very 
noiiy. It oftener frequents frelh waters than thofe of the 
fea. Feeds on fmall fifh, crabs, and fea in lefts; and the 
fkin is put to the lame ules as that of the black-throated 
fpecies. It inhabits the rivers of Hudfon’s Bay in the 
fummer 3 
