490 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Sitrvey 



times they associate with the coots or the Httle bluebills, but they 

 are usually quite exclusive and stay apart. 



There is always a feeling of mystery about this curious little 

 bird. Not only is its coming unheralded and unobserved but like- 

 wise its departure. And while it tarries with us its actions are 

 elusive and phantom-like. 



On one occasion in the fall of 1906, a Helldiver was cornered 

 in a small shallow cove in Lost Lake where the water was scarcely 

 deep enough to cover it when it attempted to dive, which it did 

 when gradually approached with the boat. When the grebe at- 

 tempted to dive it would strike the bottom and immediately come 

 up again and, seeing the boat so near, it would give vent to a sort 

 of surprised sneeze and dive again. It did this several times until 

 finally it got by the boat and escaped to deeper water. 



The feeding habits of the Helldiver are interesting. Its food 

 consists chiefly of small mollusks, crustaceans, vegetation and 

 small fish. Usually when securing food it simply dives, picks up 

 what it desires from the bottom, sometimes swimming along on 

 the bottom searching for choice bits. Surface-swimming min- 

 nows it may occasionally capture without diving. But it is when 

 a school of small surface-swimming fishes comes near that its 

 method becomes rather more exciting. On December 4, 1900, a 

 Helldiver was seen near the shore so close that its movements could 

 be carefully observed. It was keeping in touch with a large school 

 of skipjacks (Labidesthes sicculiis) on which it was feeding. It 

 would dive, swim rapidly under the school, then rising to the sur- 

 face, seize one of the fish, the skipjacks the while leaping out of 

 the water and scurrying excitedly about in their efforts to escape. 

 On December 8, a Helldiver was caught on a set-line hook baited 

 with a small minnow. 



Although this bird feeds largely on fishes, the species it preys 

 upon are skipjacks, graybacks and various Cyprinidae, none of 

 any value as a food fish but useful only as food for the Helldiver, 

 or for other fishes. An examination of many stomachs did not re- 

 veal a single food or game fish of any kind. It is frequently shot 

 by hunters or boys who sometimes mistake it for a duck, but more 

 often in pure wantonness. Many grebes found dead along the 

 shore, especially in the fall, were examined that we might learn 

 what we could regarding their food, with the result set forth above. 



Although sometimes eaten it is not esteemed as an article of 

 food, the flesh being rather rank in both odor and flavor. 



It is therefore clear that the Helldiver is as innocent as it is at- 

 tractive and should not be molested in any way. 



