III. THE DABCHICKS. I 3/ 



chiefly in Lapland and Iceland, and other such 

 northern counlries; it has been seen serenely 

 swimming and catching flies in the hot water 

 of the geysers, in which a man could not bear 

 his haud. 



And no less harmoniously than in report of 

 the extreme tameness, grace, and affection- 

 ateness of this bird do sportsmen agree also 

 in the treatment and appreciation of these 

 qualities. Thus says Mr. Salmon : " Although 

 we shot two pairs, those that were swimming 

 about did not take the least notice of the 

 report of the gun, and they seemed to be 

 much attached to each other ; for when one 

 of them flew to a short distance, the other 

 directly followed ; and while I held a wounded 

 female in my hand, its mate came and flut- 

 tered before my face." (Compare the scene 

 between Irene and Hector, at page 393 of 

 the May number of Aunt Judys Magazine. ) 

 And, again, says Mr. Wolley : "The bird is 

 extremely tame, swimming about my India- 

 rubber boat so near that I could almost catch 

 it in my hand ; 1 have seen it even, when far 

 from its nest, struck at many times with an 

 oar before it flew away." In its domestic 



