swimming, they are in the constant habit of dipping their
bill in the water, with a graceful motion of the head and
neck.” *
Since the above was written, the Black-throated Diver has
been found by Mr. Harvie-Brown and others to be even more
plentiful in the south-western portion of Sutherland than
the Red-throated Diver, although in the northern and eastern
districts the latter species preponderates. Mr. R. Gray adds
that a number of pairs take up their summer quarters on
the lochs of Argyllshire, Perthshire, Inverness-shire, and
Ross-shire; and on almost every loch in the Outer Hebrides
there are to be found one or two pairs breeding. They seem
to come near the shore in May and remain a short distance
from land, travelling northwards, especially on the west
coast; and he has seen both old and young birds on Ben-
becula in September.
The Black-throated Diver occasionally breeds on some
narrow spit on the shore of a loch, but the favourite site is
a green grass-grown island. The nest is a hollow in the
ground, rarely with any lining, and situated near the water’s
edge. Mr. Harvie-Brown says that when the female leaves
the nest she floats gently on the surface of the wmter when
undisturbed, but if alarmed, she almost instantaneously
dives, or should the water close to the shore be too shallow
to admit of this, she half swims, half dives, until she finds
sufficient depth, splashing up the water and making a noise
which can be heard at a considerable distance. On several
occasions with a good glass he has watched the female as
she sat on her eggs, whilst the male swam up and down at
no great distance, gracefully dipping his bill in the water, or
lying over on his side stretching out his leg the better to
preserve his balance, and then preening the feathers of his
breast and side with his long dagger-shaped bill. When
alarmed, he would raise his head sharply, and gradually sink
his body, till his back became level with the water, or
entirely disappeared beneath it, leaving only the long snakelike
head and neck exposed to view. If the danger then
* Edinb. New Phil. Journ. xx. p. 293.
became more imminent, he would dive without leaving a
ripple on the surface, and reappear far out upon the loch.
The males of different pairs, when the females are sitting,
often join company, and may be seen fishing together on
another loch (Pr. N. H. Soc. Glasgow, ii. p. 123).
The eggs, which are usually two in number, are sometimes
laid before the middle of May, and if taken a second pair
will generally be found in the vicinity a little later in the
season. Their colour is of a dark olive-brown, thinly spotted
with black and umber; the average measurements being
3 by 2 inches. The birds are very tenacious of their old
breeding-haunts, and will not easily change to a new locality.
This species is scarcely known to visit the Faeroes, and its
occurrence has not been authenticated in Iceland or Greenland;
but with these exceptions it is generally distributed
in summer throughout the arctic and sub-arctic regions.
The late Mr. Richard Dann sent the Author the following
note:—“ This beautiful Diver is widely and numerously
dispersed over the whole of Scandinavia during the summer
months, but it is most abundant in the northern parts. It
breeds generally in the interior of the country on small
islands, in the most secluded and retired lakes. In Lapland
and in the Dofre Field mountains, it is found as high as the
birch-tree grows. It makes its first appearance in the spring
with the breaking-up of the ice on the lakes. Within twelve
hours of open water being seen, this bird never fails to show
itself. The eggs are generally two in number. They are of
a very rank fishy taste, but much sought after by the Laps.
After the young are hatched, both male and female are very
assiduous in bringing them food, and at that period are
much on the wing, and may be seen flying at a vast height,
with fish in their beaks, from one lake to another; on arriving
over the lake where they intend to alight, they descend
very suddenly in an oblique direction. The cries of this
Diver are very peculiar during the breeding-season, and may
be heard at a great distance. This bird is very quick-
sighted and difficult to approach, it takes wing with great
reluctance, but dives incessantly, taking care to come up far