III. THE DABCHICKS. I 3 I 



Strength of the wing must, however, be enor- 

 mous, for the great nprthern diver is described 

 as swimming under water "as it were with 

 the velocity of an arrow in the air" (Yarrell, 

 vol. iii., page 431); or to keep to more 

 measured fact, Sir Wilham Jardine says, " I 

 have pursued this bird in a Newhaven fishing- 

 boat with four sturdy rowers, and notwith- 

 standing it was kept almost constant!}' under 

 water by firing as soon as it appeared, the 

 boat could not succeed in making one yard 

 upon it" {ibid.^ p. 432). 



no. But this is followed by the amazing- 

 statement of Mr. Robert Dunn, p. 433, that in 

 the act of diving it does not appear to make 

 the least exertion, but sinks gradually under 

 the surface, without throwing itself forward, 

 the head being the last part that disappears. 

 I am not fond of the word * impossible,' but I 

 think I am safe in saying that according to the 

 laws of nature no buoyant body can sink merely 

 by an act of volition ; and that it must pull 

 itself down by some hitherto unconceived action 

 of the feet, which in this bird are imm.ensely 

 broad and strong, and so flat that it cannot 

 walk with them, any more than we could with 



