RED-THROATED DIVER,
lled-throated Divers; ninny were in full, though the, majority showed iutermediale plumage, their necks
being much speckled with white. The whole of the birds were collected within a short distance of the
herring-boats, evidently attracted to the spot by the abundance of fish.
On the 21th of May, 1SS3, while at our boat-house on the shingle-banks between Shoreham and
Lancing, in Sussex, I watched a Diver busily .searching for food close to the shore. The bird was
probably in quest of shrimps, and into such shallow water did his prey lead him, that having been
caught by an unsually heavy roller while rising to tho surface, he was turned right over and carried
helpless on to the beach. In a moment, however, he recovered, and by the help of wings and legs,
aided by a receding swell, was swept back to his natural element.
I repeatedly remarked during autumn and winter that immense flights of these Divers are observed
in the Channel Hying west shortly before stormy weather sets in; on such occasions Guillemots and
tbuorliills arc also following the same course. With hardly a single exception, I hud by referring to my
notes that these general movement* lb ret ell a change, heavy gales usually selling in within a few days.
A somewhat ludicrous incident which might, however, have been attended with serious results,
occurred while I was engaged in procuring one or two specimens of this species in winter plumage in
the Channel early in lb70. A wounded bird which bad led us within a short distance of the beach olf
Aldringtou, a mile west of Brighton, was on the point of being secured, when our attcutiou was
attracted by the report of a gun or rille on the shore, and the next moment a bullet decked up the
water twenty yards from the boat, and passing harmlessly by struck again abuut thirty yards beyond.
The wind was north, and the sea inshore as smooth as glass, and on looking from one spot to the other
I could not understand how our boat or crew escaped without injury. A dense fug obscured every object
beyond a hundred yards, but a ligure from which the shot had evidently proceeded was dimly visible on
the beach; and as one good turn deserves another, I picked up a heavy double charged with 1| oz. green
cartridge No. 1 and returned the compliment. The old gun had a nasty trick of balling, and one of the
men remarked we should probably find some part of the delinquent on the shore. lie was just vanishing
in the haze as I fired, and when wc landed no signs of hint could be found. Some navvies at work at
a road near at hand were attracted to the spot by the shots, and on an inquiry having been made
informed us that they had seen a person armed with a long gun firing out to sea on lateral occasions
during the morning. Induced by the oiler of a reward the whole party started off in the hopes of securing
this reckless individual; in this, however, they failed, though returning with a couple of gunners, whose
unstained weapons and pouches of small shot proclaimed their innocence, and whose evidence confirmed
that of the workmen as to the escape of the man previously alluded to. On out way back towards
Brighton wc happened to run alongside a shrimp-boat that had been trawling in the same hay, and one
of our men replied in answer to their inquiry " What sport'; " that we had had a narrow escape of being
bagged ourselves. " What I " exclaimed the fisherman, "you liavc been shot at? Look at our sails—two
bullets through the for'sail, two between the masts, and another under tho counter. My mate says: 'Up
trawl, Joe, and let's hook it. 'No,' says I; 'may as well he shot as starved. Let the beggar shoot.'"
This doubtless was the work of the same " cuss," who, as a Yankee would express it, must have bad " snakes
in his boots" that day. To offer any explanation for such conduct is utterly beyond my power, though
I have beard of similar cases of insane thoughtlessness occurring along other parts of uur coasts: I can
now only regret we failed in our attempt to secure tin? perpetrator.