236 Townbend, Use of Wings and Feet by Diving Birds. [juiy 



I have watched Horned, Holboell's and Least Grebes diving, 

 and as in the case of the Loons the wings are always kept closely 

 pressed to the side. While the Grebes are able to sink mysteriously 

 in the water, or to dive with very little motion of the body, they 

 often leap clear of the water and execute graceful curves or arcs as 

 they descend into the water. At such times the feet are stretched 

 out behind. In the shallow water of a pond at close range I have 

 seen the powerful leg strokes of the Least Grebe as it progressed 

 under water, while the wings were seen to be motionless at the sides. 

 On several occasions at Ipswich I have been treated to an excellent 

 view of Horned Grebes as they dove, borne up in the clear trans- 

 parent water of an advancing wave before it broke on the beach. 

 In this case the wings were not in use, they were pressed close to 

 the sides, while the Grebes advanced rapidly by leg strokes alone. 



Joseph Kittredge, Jr. (7) in describing the actions of a Horned 

 Grebe in a small tidal pool says: "He dove immediately. . . .In 

 this case certainly, he did not use his wings in swimming." Evans, 

 as already quoted, states that Grebes do not use their wings under 

 water, and in another place (4) he says: "in diving the feet alone 

 act as oars." Mr. A. C. Bent in reply to a question on this subject 

 kindly wrote me as follows: "While collecting in the big Grebe 

 rookeries in Saskatchewan I had ample opportunities to observe 

 the Western Grebes swimming under water at short range, often 

 almost at my feet; I am quite sure that they generally swam with 

 the wings closed, and swam very rapidly. I am quite sure that I 

 have seen the Loons do the same thing, though I have no doubt 

 that they both use their wings occasionally." 



Very different is the case of the Alcidae, the Auks, Puffins and 

 Guillemots, birds with stout rounded bodies and short necks. In 

 all the members of this family that I have seen, the wings of the 

 diving birds are not pressed to the sides but spread out for action 

 as they go below the surface, and I have actually seen the wings 

 used under water in some instances. The Puffin on the Labrador 

 coast allows of close approach, and one can plainly see the wings 

 used vigorously as the bird descends under water. That the wings 

 alone are used is stated by Selous (17) who says: " I have been able 

 to follow the Puffin downwards in its dive, and at once noticed 

 that the legs, instead of being used, were trailed behind, as in flight, 



