46 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON.
three pairs, with: their nests:, on a pond, not exceeding a quarter of a
mile in length, in the State of Maine, One that I saw after the yorog
had left it, on Cayuga Lake, in 1824, was almost afloat, and rudely attached
to the rushes, mo£e than forty yards from the: land, though its
tec was laid on the bottom, the water fcftijg eight or nine inches
deep. Others examined in Labrador were placed on dry land, several
yards;from the water, and raised to the height «f nearly a foot above
the decayed moss on which they weiie laid. Hut, iu cases when the
nest was found at any distance from the water, we discovered a wellbeaten
path leading to it,* and very much resembling those made by the
Beaver, to which the hunters give the name of " crawls." The nest,
wherever placed, is bulky, and formed of the vegetable substances,
found in the immediate \icmity, such as fresh or withered grasses and
herbaceous plants. The internal part, or the true, nest, which is rarely
less than a foot, and is sometimes- fifteen inches, in diameters is raised
upon the external or inferior mass, to the height: of seven or eight
inchest Such was one found on the 5th July 1831, in Labrador, and
which TO placed within three yards of the edge of a considerable
pond of limpid water, supposed to have; .been produced by the melting
of the snow, and- upwards of a mile distant from the sea. Of
the: many nests, which I have examined, I have found more, containing
three than two- eggs; and I am confident that the former number is
that which more frequently occurs, although mim v European, and some
American writers, who probably never Saw a liost of this bird, allege
the contrary. The eggs average three inches, and. three quarters in
length, by two inches: and a quarter in their greatest breadth, and thus
are considerably elongated, being particularly narrowed from the bulge
to the smaller end, which is rather pointed. They are. of a dull greenish
ochry tint, rather indistinctly marked with spots of dark umber,
which are more numerous toward the larger extremity^, t The weight
of two of these-oggs, containing young nearly: ready to emerge, was
ten ounces? and a half. In Maine the Loon lays felly a month earlier
than in Labrador, and about the same period as on the Wabash.
On approaching the female while sitting on her eggs, I assured myself
that she incubates with her body laid fiat upon them, in the same
way as the Domestic Duck, a&d that, on perceiving the intruder,¿;„ ¡she
Squats close, and So remains until he ig almost over her,, whim she
springs up with great force, and makes: at once for the water,>iiji a
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER OR LOON. 47
scrambling an* sliding manner, pushing herself along the ground. On
gaining the water, she dives at once, emerges at a great distiu.ee, and
very rarely suffers herself to be approached within gunshot. Sometimes
they swim so deeply immersed a« scarcely to be perceptible, and
keep as much a* possible among the rushes and other water plants.
When the eggs are on the eve of being hatched, the mother, when disturbed,
often ciies loudly and dismally for some time, but seldom flies
off. At otter times, when I found the -eggs to have been recently laid,
the bird, on reaching the water, and diving, swam lightly, flapping its
wings, drank once or twice, and motel -about at a respectful distance.
On such occasions, should you persist in watching it, it rises on wing
and flies off. Should you not mark the Spot in which the nest is, but
leave it to go in pursuit of the bird, you may search for hours before
finding it,, for the path leading from the water to it is generally covered
over by the herbage- Once while approaching a spot in which I knew
a Loon to be engaged iu forming her nest, I was disappointed at not
finding her at work: her keen sense of hearing had apprised her of my
purpose, and cunningly must she have slipped away, for, on finding her
absent, although I had not heard- any noise, I happened to. look toward
the water, and there she was, gliding off in the quiet maimer usual on
such occasions..
The young of the Loon are covered at birth with a kind of black
stiff down, and in a day or two after are led to the water by their
mother.: They swim and dive extremely well even at: this early stage'
of their existence, and after being fed by regurgitation for about a fortnight,
receive portions of fish, aquatic insects, and small reptiles, until
t h e y a r e able t o maintain themselves. During this period, grey feathers
appear among ^ down of the back and' belly, and the black quillfeathers
of the wings and tail gradually elongate. >. They are. generally
very fat, and so clumsy as to be easily caught on land, if their retreat
to the water bo cut off. But should you miss your opportunity, and
t |1 0 birds succeed in gaining the liquid element, into which they drop
like SO many Terrapins, you will be astonished to see them as it were
run-over the water with extreme celerity, leaving behind them a distinct
furrow. This power of traversing the surface of the water is
possessed not only, by the young and old of this species, but by all
other kinds of swimmers, including even Gallinules and Coots. When