132 love's meinie. 



two flat boards a yard square tied to our feet ; 

 but, when it is caught on land, shoves its body 

 along upon the ground, like a seal, by jerks. 

 All these diving motions are executed in a 

 more delicate but quite as wonderful way by 

 the dabchick, — more wonderful indeed it may 

 be said, because it has only the divided or 

 chesnut-leaf-like foot, to strike with. We 

 shall understand it perhaps a little better after 

 tracing, in a future talk, the history of its re- 

 lations among the smaller seagulls ; meantime, 

 in quitting the little dainty creature, I must 

 plead for a daintier Latin name than it has 

 now — ' Podiceps.' No one seems to have the 

 least idea what that means ; and ' Colymbus,' 

 diver, must be kept for the great Northern 

 Diver and his deep-sea relatives, far removed 

 from our little living ripple-line of the pools. 

 I can't think of any one pretty enough ; but 

 for the present ' Trepida ' may serve ; and 

 perhaps be applied, not improperl}', to all the 

 Grebes, with reference to their subtle and 

 instant escape from any sudden danger. (See 

 Stanley, p. 419.) " It requires all the address 

 of a keen sportsman to get within shot," and 

 when he does, the bird may still be too shrewd 



