The Mergansers. 417 



swimming and diving. I have never seen 

 one on land, but I once saw a number 

 asleep on the water about midday in 

 March. 



" They feed entirely under water. . . . 

 No Duck can touch them at diving : even 

 Grebes and Cormorants — and I have 

 watched both perform the same manoeuvre, 

 — are scarcely so rapid in their movements 

 under water. They use their wings in 

 diving, though they do not spread them 

 fully, so that you must not judge of their 

 performance by birds with wings injured 

 above the carpal joint ; but where the 

 injury is merely on the carpus, sufficient 

 to prevent flight, but not otherwise 

 serious, their diving is a thing to watch." 



Mr. E. T. Booth, in " Rough Notes," 

 thus describes the manner in which the 

 Smew pursues and captures its prey : — 

 " Several times this active little diver 

 returned to the surface, having evidently 

 met with no success, as after looking 

 wistfully round he instantly plunged again. 

 At last, with an unusual flutter, causing 

 a perceptible ripple on the water, the 

 hungry bird dashed up to within thirty 

 yards of the punt, making frantic but 

 apparently vain efl'orts to swallow a fish 

 protruding at least a couple of inches 



VOL. II. 27 



