OUTDOORS 



range. Occasionally, however, he will swing 

 in near enough to a " blind " to invite de- 

 struction. 



Web- footed as the loons are, with short, 

 muscular legs, swimming and diving is their 

 forte. They are adepts at either branch of 

 aquatics. They will dive and remain beneath 

 the surface for a long time, swimming under 

 water with great rapidity. They live on 

 small fish, which they catch under water. 

 What a picture such a scene would make 

 could it be reproduced by photography the 

 long neck of this great bird stretched out 

 to its full length, its body darting through 

 the water, propelled by strong strokes of the 

 webbed feet ; the eyes gleaming, and the sharp 

 bill ready at any instant to seize the prey; 

 the fish, fully alive to its peril, dodging and 

 curving about, only at last to be caught and 

 swallowed; and then a swift uprising to the 

 surface, and a parting of the water when the 

 snaky head and neck reappear. There is a 

 natural touch in the idea of one fish preying 

 upon another, but the thought of this weird 

 black bird whizzing through under depths of 

 green water seeking its food, is a reminder 



5.6 



