THE LOON 



By ARTHUR H. NORTON 



tlT^e 0atiom\ Si&fiotiatlon ot laudubon ^octetitd 



EDUCATIONAL LEAFLET No. 78 



One's introduction to the Loon is likely 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 direc- 

 tions; 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 swimmer 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, if has the re- 

 markable ability to sink its entire body beneath the surface without visible 

 effort. This faculty belongs also to several other diving-birds. 



Trusting extensivelv 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 

 Flight 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. 



