36 LAKES AND RIVERS. 



choked with ice, they swim and dive in the centre of 

 the pools, and so expertly that we have mistaken and 

 followed them for the Little Grebe. At this time, and 

 I may say generally, aquatic insects, the larvae of 

 pkryganida^ or caddis-flies, and in some situations 

 different species of fresh-water shells, form their chief 

 food, which in summer again is varied by a greater 

 choice of insects and aquatic larvae. It has been 

 during the continuance of a very severe frost only 

 that we have seen this bird seize some small fishes in 

 the manner above mentioned of diving from the edge 

 of the ice ; at the distance observed they appeared to 

 be minnows, and were brought up held crossways in 

 the bill. The ova of any kind of fish we have never 

 detected in their stomachs or intestines, nor do we 

 think they habitually at the proper season frequent 

 the places where spawn would be deposited, and if 

 they did, we would deem it almost impossible that 

 they could reach it after it was impregnated and 

 covered in the spawning-bed, which it is before the 

 parent fish leaves the place of deposition. Neither 

 have we any knowledge of the ova being sought after 

 about the period when they begin to acquire vitality,, 

 and when they might become a much more easy prey. 

 This, in fact, is the only time when any destruction 

 could be accomplished. In the north of Scotland 

 this little bird is persecuted for its supposed depre- 

 dations, and we were astonished, before learning the 

 reason, to find such suitable localities totally unin- 

 habited by them. Here the provincial name of King- 

 fisher is given to them ; a reward of sixpence is put 

 upon their head, and in one Highland district we 



