GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. Toe 
pond, made a good deal of plaint, and would sometimes 
wander out of his more natural element, and hide and bask 
in the grass. On these occasions he lay very still until 
nearly approached, and then slid into the pond and uttered 
his usual plaint. When out at a distance he made the 
same cautious efforts to hide, and would commonly defend 
himself in great anger, by darting at the intruder, and 
striking powerfully with his dagger-like bill. This bird, with 
a pink coloured iris, like albinos, appeared to suffer from 
the glare of broad daylight, and was inclined to hide from 
its effects, but became very active towards the dusk of the 
evening. ‘The pupil of the eye in this individual, like that 
of nocturnal animals, appeared indeed dilatable; and the one 
in question often put down his head and eyes into the 
water to observe the situation of his prey. This bird was 
a most expert and indefatigable diver, and remained down 
sometimes for several minutes, often swimming under 
water, and, as it were, flying with the velocity of an arrow 
in the air. Though at length inclining to become docile, 
and shewing no alarm when visited, it constantly betrayed 
its wandering habits, and every night was found to have 
waddled to some hiding-place, where it seemed to prefer 
hunger to the loss of liberty, and never could be restrained 
from exercising its instinct to move onwards to some secure 
or more suitable asylum.’ 
These birds have the faculty of sinking the body below 
the surface of the water if suddenly alarmed, the head and 
neck alone being extant. When diving for food, one minute 
appears to be the usual length of time that they remain 
below; less, of course, if successful in their pursuit. It is 
said, however, by Meyer, that they can remain underneath 
the surface for the long space of three minutes and a half, 
and that when pursued, the bird manages to dive with ease 
for one hundred and fifty or a couple of hundred yards. 
In swimming and diving the legs only appear to be used 
in general, and not the wings, though the latter are also, 
according to Audubon. They progress with very great speed 
if pursued, and dive with instantaneous quickness. ‘They 
resort to this mode of escape in preference to attempting 
flight, no doubt for the reason elsewhere spoken of. Mr. 
Selby asserts, from observation, that they can swim at the 
rate of more than seven miles an hour. They consort 
together in small parties of four or five. They are often to 
