CHAPTER av. 
DIVERS—COLD-WEATHER DIVERS. 
A diver, properly speaking, dives for its food, and is 
able to stay below the surface of the water for some 
time whilst engaged in tearing rootlets, bulbs and 
seeds, from a lake or river’s bottom. The reasons as- 
sumed are that, owing to the cavities of the divers’ 
bones and quills being larger than in the non-divers, 
they are not compelled to breathe so frequently; their 
feet are larger, and the abundance of down upon their 
bodies resists the soaking of their feathers. When 
wounded they quickly dive, and in clear water they 
can frequently be observed swimming rapidly close 
to the bottom for a considerable distance; then rise 
under the friendly shelter of some bunches of flags, 
rushes, moss or lily pads, where unseen they can pro- 
trude their bills for air. 
They usually feed in deep water, not infrequently 
drifting into the shores where food is plentiful. Their 
feet are broader, larger and more fully webbed, in- 
cluding the hind toe, tarsi shorter, wings, quills and 
tail shorter (except the harlequin, ruddy, old squaw, 
etc.), the tail contains more feathers, sternum shorter 
and broader, clavicle wider and the legs are set far- 
ther back upon the body. They waddle more, and 
frequent the land less than the non-divers. They call 
less whilst on the wing, and each species has a differ- 
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