AN OCTOBER DIARY. 801 



process of skin respiration as in frogs, I do not know, 

 but suppose not ; still the fact remains that the birds 

 have been found tangled in nets, and brought to the 

 surface uninjured. The length of time thej were 

 thus imprisoned could not be determined, beyond the 

 fact that it was much longer than any usual voluntary 

 submergence. 



On questioning certain observing old fishermen, who 

 had taken these divers from their nets, I found the 

 impression to prevail that all the divers, loons, and the 

 coot took down a volume of air under their wings and 

 remained beneath the surface as long as this lasted. 

 This absurdity was their means of explaining the phe- 

 nomenon of their remaining so long out of sight, after 

 diving, coupled with the fact that they were so often 

 taken from nets, in which they were presumed to have 

 been entangled for hours. 



The statement, often made, that these birds will stay 

 under the stern of a boat and follow it for an indefinite 

 time is certainly true. These divers, associated with 

 ducks, will, when startled by the discharge of a gun, 

 hide in this way; at least all the circumstances point to 

 the belief that they were afraid of being shot at, and in- 

 stead of flying or simply diving, only to reappear, they 

 took this means of escaping further notice. This is a rath- 

 er startling statement, but is rendered less so when it is 

 remembered that they can be made very tame, and soon 

 learn to distinguish between those who feed them and 

 strangers. This brings it quite within the bounds of 

 possibility that the diver is as cunning as he has been 

 represented. 



