48 



That this habit is not peculiar to American waterfowl is 

 proved by a report of Dr. Theodore G. Ahrens, Berlin, Ger- 

 many, who says that George E. F. Schulz saw in 1920 an 

 Anser cinereus (Gray Lag Goose) in Sweden, south of Stock- 

 holm, "dive when wounded and then cling fast under water 

 until dead." Other reports might be cited, but lack of space 

 forbids. 



From the above and much similar evidence now in my files 

 we may draw the following conclusions: (1) wounded water- 

 fowl, weakened and perhaps dying, often seek safety below the 

 surface in under- water vegetation; (2) in some cases they are 

 entangled in this vegetation and die there; (3) in other cases 

 they grasp aquatic plants with the bill or the feet and hold on 

 till death; (4) sometimes they remain attached after death; 

 (5) there is no conclusive evidence that they either purposely 

 or ui&ittingly drown themselves; nor is there any evidence 

 that they do not do so. It is quite possible that a bird in its 

 death agonies, gasping for breath under water and perhaps un- 

 conscious, might inhale water and drown, but we have no con- 

 vincing evidence of this as, so far as I know, no one has 

 examined a bird in such case to see if its lungs contained 

 water. Granted that at such a time water might be inhaled, 

 it might so reduce the buoyancy of the bird that it would re- 

 main under water after death, even if very slightly attached. 



It seems unlikely that a dead bird would hold its position by 

 either bill or feet after death, if it had not reduced its buoyancy 

 by inhaling water. After death the muscles relax and the grip 

 of the bill naturally would relax also, but if the bill is lamellated, 

 toothed or serrated, as in many water birds, and closed tightly 

 in the death grip upon succulent vegetation, thereby pene- 

 trating the tissues of the plant with its sharp edges or point, 

 it might retain its hold even after death, particularly if the 

 buoyancy of the bird had been reduced by the inhalation of 

 water. I am told by medical men that the "rigor mortis,'" 

 or rigidity of death, sets in very quickly under some conditions. 

 If this should occur quickly, the grip might be maintained for 

 some time after death, or until the muscles relaxed again. 



The entanglement of birds in under-water vegetation may be 

 accounted for in the following manner: The tendency of birds 



