OF NATURE. 437 



surocl in length from the bill to the tail (which was very 

 short) two feet, and to the extremities of the toes, four inches 

 more ; and the breadth of the wings expanded was 42 inches. 

 A person attempted to eat the body, but found it very strong 

 and rancid, as is the flesh of all birds living on fish. Divers 

 or loons, though bred in the most northerly parts of Europe, 

 yet are seen with us in very severe winters ; and on the 

 Thames are called sprat loons, because they prey much on 

 that sort of fish. 



The legs of the colymbi and mergi are placed so very back- 

 ward, and so out of all centre of gravity, that these birds 

 cannot walk at all. They are called by Linnaeus compedes, 

 because they move on the ground as if shackled or fettered. 

 WHITE. 



These accurate and ingenious observations, tending to set 

 forth in a proper h'ght the wonderful works of God in the 

 creation, and to point out his wisdom in adapting the singular 

 form and position of the limbs of this bird to the particular 

 mode in which it is destined to pass the greater part of it's 

 life in an element much denser than the air, do Mr. White 

 credit, not only as a naturalist, but as a man and as a philo- 

 sopher, in the truest sense of the word, in my opinion ; for 

 were we enabled to trace the works of nature minutely and 

 accurately, we should find, not only that every bird, but every 

 creature, w r as equally well adapted to the purpose for which 

 it was intended ; though this fitness and propriety of form is 

 more striking in such animals as are destined to any uncom- 

 mon mode of life. 



I have had in my possession two birds, which, though of a 

 different genus, bear a great resemblance to Mr. White's 

 Colymbus, in their manner of life, which is spent chiefly in 

 the water, where they swim and dive with astonishing rapid- 

 ity, for which purpose their fin-toed feet, placed far behind, 

 and very short wings, are particularly well adapted, and shew 

 the wisdom of God in the creation UK conspicuously as the 

 bird beforementioned. These birds were the greater and 

 lesser crested grebe, podiceps cristatus et auritus. A\ hat 



