• ON THE SUBMERGENCE OF BIRDS. 171 



residence, and these birds were for the greater part of the time with little 

 more than the bill above- water, which was very clear; if I suddenly ran round 

 to that part where they were lying near the shore among the rushes, I could see 

 them swim only just beneath the surface with the same ease as upon it; 

 and these birds, [Gallinulce,) are, as we know, waders more than swimmers; 

 although in the instance I speak of, nothing could be more perfect than the 

 command of subaqueous motion which they displayed. I think, however, the 

 bird most perfect in this qualification, is the Water Ouzel, (Cinclus aquaticus.) 

 I recollect very well when I was at Ambleside, being struck with astonish- 

 ment at the almost amphibious gambols of these pretty little birds. Sometimes 

 after a wet day, when the water would come roaring over the masses of stone 

 in its course from the Rydal falls, in the most impetuous manner, there 

 would be perhaps a pair of these birds popping in and out of the torrent, 

 now lost in the black mass of water, or the white foam as it broke against 

 a projecting rock; and now emerging and resting for a few seconds on a small 

 point of stone; and with a shake apparently as dry in a moment, as if nothing 

 had happened to moisten their feathers; their brilliantly white breasts shining 

 in the highest relief amidst the surrounding deep gray stones, and deep brown 

 stream. They appeared to have almost the powers of fish. 



The Kingfisher has something of the same power, but in a very compara- 

 tively limited degree, for he merely remains for a few seconds at most under 

 water. The most perfect exhibition of this power I ever witnessed, was 

 some years ago, at the gardens of the Zoological Society, in the case of 



one of those singular birds called Darters, (Plotus ?) It was necessary 



to capture him for some purpose, and as his wing was cut, this was supposed 

 to be a matter of small difficulty; but those who thought so, grossly mis- 

 calculated, for upon the first attempt to take him, with unerring instinct he 

 made his way to the water, wherein he was confident in strength. The pond 

 was small and not deep, and yet for more than half-an--hour did he completely 

 baffle the efforts of half-a-dozen men armed with poles, etc., and as many 

 coadjutors, in chance boys, but too ready to assist. I suppose never was a 

 more wonderful display of subaqueous powers; so great were they, that many 

 of the spectators, who had not seen the commencement of the chase, were 

 not in the least aware ivhat was the object, until he was brought to land; 

 unfairly caught even then, and apparently nothing daunted. 



We can well understand how active exertions rightly made, may produce 

 continued submersion and subaqueous motion; but that curious provision by 

 which birds are enabled to swim just beneath the surface, can, I think, be 

 explained in no other way than that advanced in the article I refer to; 

 for in that way the bird has it perfectly in its power to regulate the amount of 

 submergence according to circumstances, which in no other way, by no movement 

 of the webbed feet or otherwise, could it do. But before I close these remarks, 

 I may observe that such birds as are capable of this evolution are not the 

 lightest birds nor the best flyers, except in the larger Divers and the Cormo- 



