The Loon {Gavla immer) 



By Arthur H. Norton 



Length : 28 to 36 inches. 



Range : Northern part of the northern hemisphere. 



One's introduction to the Loon is Hkely to be through the medium of its 

 Voice, and it may seem to be the incarnation of the spirit of the wilderness-waters, 

 for its abiding places are in the solitude of lakes rimmed with dark forests, and 

 distant blue hills, or on the broad bosom of the tossing sea. Like the spirits of 

 old legends, it seems never to sleep, but to be ranging these realms both day and 

 night, sending abroad its wild, loud notes at all hours. 



Better acquaintance with the Loon will show it to be a large, beautifully 

 plumaged bird, remarkable for its masterly accomplishments in several directions ; 

 and, although its notes often have a sad, or even a despairing sound, it is a happy, 

 self-reliant creature, demanding our admiration rather than our pity. 



The Loon spends its life afloat, and no more powerful swimmer can be found 

 in the bird-world. Its heavy flattened body, half submerged when swimming, 

 afifords little leverage to the driving blast, while the great webbed feet, operated 

 by powerful muscles, drive it onward against wind and wave. Matchless swim- 

 mer though it is, it is an even more wonderful diver, for it must chase and capture 

 fishes in their own element. If pursued by man, or if attacked by an Eagle, it 

 instantly takes refuge beneath the surface, speeding away to a safe distance, 

 now and then merely thrusting its head above the surface to catch breath, and 

 again diving and speeding onward to a place of safety. 



Many a Loon has escaped death by ducking at the flash of a gun, ere the 

 shot could reach him. Though quick in diving, head foremost, it has the remark- 

 able ability to sink its entire body beneath the surface without visible effort. This 

 faculty belongs also to several other diving birds. 



Trusting extensively in its powers of swimming over and under water to 

 escape its enemies, and to procure its food, it nevertheless is a strong flier, although 

 progressing with apparently labored movements, and in calm weather finding 

 great difficulty in rising from the water. It must rise against the wind, so that 

 the pressure of the breeze against its narrow pinions may assist in raising its 

 weight from the surface. Once on the wing it may perform long journeys, as 

 it does on its migrations, which take it many miles overland to and from the lake 

 where it makes its home. On these flights it sometimes sends forth a defiant 

 note, attracting attention to its speeding form far above tree-tops and hills. In 

 flying over the ocean, it seems to feel that its true safety is in the water, for a 

 sudden shout or startling sound will often cause it to drop near the surface. This 

 habit is often taken advantage of by gunners, as the bird flies overhead. 



The Loon leaves its secluded lake within the realm of the Frost Giants some- 



248 



