CHAPTER X 



BIRDS UNDER WATER 



IT is, when one comes to think of it, such a 

 strange thing that the birds of the air should 

 invade the domains of the fishes, and even 

 chase and catch them in their own element, 

 that it is natural that people should be 

 specially interested in diving birds. You can 

 see this in the London parks, where the little 

 diving tufted ducks are quite the favourites 

 among the water-fowl, and in the Zoo, where 

 the penguins are some of the few birds which 

 are as popular as the beasts. Penguins are 

 the most perfect of the diving birds, and can 

 do what none of the others can in the way of 

 feats in diving and swimming. One of the 

 first things you will notice about them is that 

 they swim with their wings, not their feet ; 

 in fact, the penguin has changed his wings 

 for paddles, for they are real " water- wings," 



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