312 WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



the great northern diver and the black - throated 

 diver are unable to walk, they push along on the 

 thick feather cushions on their breasts, as a seal 

 moves himself, and make good progress. They 

 are capable of taking fish with the greatest ease; 

 for their swimming powers under water surpass 

 those of the fish they feed on, and swift of flight 

 as they are when well on the wing for they go at 

 express speed they are in reality out of their 

 element on land. 



In other papers I have stated that local names 

 for fowl and names in scientific books on ornithology 

 will not always agree. The same bird has different 

 local names in different places. For instance, one 

 out of many that I could mention, the golden-eye 

 or golden-eyed pochard, is called here the black- 

 headed duck. This is a very appropriate name. 

 Those who are not practically acquainted with 

 fowling would think that a bird the size of a duck, 

 with magpie plumage, pure black and white, would 

 be a most conspicuous object on the water ; but it 

 is not so, just the reverse, for the bird, like all 

 divers, swims low in the water. When the bird is 



