T H E GREAT N O R TH E R N D IV E R ,
Colymbus glacia lis, Great Northern Diver
„ .■'immer, I Jmber „
,, glacialis, Great Northern ,,
„ immer, Imber . ,,
„ glacialis, Great Northern :P ^
,, >> »
Plongeon imbrim
■, P enn. Bfk'. IZool". vol. ii. g." 166. i j „ m ii „i67.\ i
MoNT..Ornith. Diet.
Bewick, Brit. Bixdsf v f e i l i p. 196»
F lem. Brit. An. p. 132.
Selby, B rit. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 406.
J enyns, Brit. Vert. p.
, G ould, Birds of Europe, pt. xiii.
TEMM.Man. d’Ornith. vol. ii. p.piO.*
Colymbus. Generic Characters^Bill about a s long as the head; strong,
straight, rather compressed, pointed ; upper mandible the longer of the two,
edges of both curving inwards. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, perforate and
partly closed by a membrane. Legs thin, the tarsi compressed, placed very
far backwards, and closely attached -ito the posterior part of the body; toes
1 three in front, united by mèmbranes, one tóe 'behind, with ä small membrane,
articulated upon the tarsus ; the claws, or nails flat. Wings short, the first
primary quill-feather the longest. “Aail short and rounded.
Of thé genus Colyrrihuß 'there are three British species
called. Divers, par excellence, since they! possess this power
in a.mosfömarked' and perfect degree, .Of these three, the
Northern-. Diver, frequently called also th e . Great Northern
Diver^isrthe-llargest. in sizêybüt of the specimens procured
young/Birds are .much more' éotnmoh than old matured examples^*
and even thé former -are only obtained in winter.
Sir Thomas, Bi&wne' says that i n his time the Divers-bred on
the broads; óf Norfolk, bnt-this is not,the'case at the present
day, npr1 is.it very cerkaimthaf the NGEtherh Diver breeds in
-any.part of the British Islands now, even .in Orkney or Shet-
land'lffPittwhat has been - ascertained on .this subject will be
adduced; when enumerating the different' localities -in which
it has been found.
Except during 'their breeding-season all the Divers live
chiefly a t • sèa^ where.they^obtain their living by following,
ór keeping in the vicinity of .shoals of herrings, sprats, and
Other, specie^, of/fishes of moderate size, which they catch
Seemingly with great.- easb and certainty while diving, remaining
under water a very considerable time without any
apparent inconvenience', and have been taken, while thus
submerged, by a baited hook. |
.M o n ti^Ä in thé A p p e id ü ito the Supplement to his
Ornithological Dictionary, says, “/A Northern Diver taken
, alive, was kept in é pond for some months, which gave us
an opportunity of attending to its manners. In a.few days
it became extremely 'docile, Would come at the call from one
side of the! pond to the other, and would take food from the