III. THE DABCHICKS. 12^ 



chesnut chemisette. Infant dabchicks have 

 " dehcate rose -coloured bills, harlequin-hke 

 markings', and rosy-white aprons." The harle- 

 quin-hke markings I should call, rather, agate- 

 like, especially on the head, where they are 

 black and white, like an onyx. The bodies 

 look more like a little walnut-shell, or nutmeg 

 with wings to it, or things that are to be 

 wings, some day. 



io6. Even when full-grown, the birds never 

 fly much, — never more, says Morris, " than six 

 or ten feet above the water, and for the most 

 part trailing their legs in it ; but either on the 

 water or under it, every movement is charac- 

 terized by the most consummate dexterity, and 

 facile agility. The most expert waterman that 

 sculls his skiff on the Thames or Isis, is 

 but an humble and unskilful imitator of the 

 dabchick. In moving straightforward (under 

 water?), the wings are used to aid its pro- 

 gress, as if in the air, and in turning it has 

 an easy gliding motion, feet and wings being 

 used, as occasion requires, sometimes on one 

 side and sometimes on the other. It walks 

 but indifferently, as may readily be imagined 

 from the position of the legs, so very far back. 



