NON-DIVERS. 9 
ally in the direction of some cover in which it may 
obtain concealment. It cannot remain long under 
water, but will rise to the surface to obtain air by the 
projection of its bill, hidden from view by some 
friendly lily pad or bunch of weeds, its body remain- 
ing submerged or flattened upon the surface. A 
duck, although webfooted and able to swim and dive, 
does not constitute a diver in the true sense of the 
word. In like manner, many water-birds can swim 
and dive, without their feet being webbed; in fact, 
some of otir expert divers, apart from the 4 vatide 
family, are not entirely webfooted. Nearly all our 
waders can swim, especially those which have close 
feathers covering down upon their breasts. A beauti- 
ful range of variation exists between the waders and 
the full webbed. For instance, take the long toes 
with palmations extending between two or more, as 
in the Lzmicole or shore-birds; observe the phara- 
lopes, rails and gallinules, the coot or mudhen with 
lobe-feet; great divers and swimmers. Then the 
grebe family, which has a foot intermediately between 
those of the coots and the ducks, almost forming a 
web; they can remain under water and travel a long 
distance before rising to the surface, resembling the 
actions of loons. Thus, from the simple form of the 
wader’s foot the web is increased, through the various 
species, until the full and perfect type is obtained; a 
very material point in waterfowl. 
