. GEEAT NOETITEUX DIYEE. 131 



pond, made a good deal of plaint, and would sometimes 

 wander out of his more natural element, and hide and bask 

 in the grass. On these occasions he lay very still until 

 nearly approached, and then slid into the pond and uttered 

 his usual plaint. When out at a distance he made the 

 same cautious efforts to hide, and would commonly defend 

 himself in great anger,' by darting at the intruder, and 

 striking powerfully with his dagger-like bill. This bird, with 

 a pink coloured iris, like albinos, appeared to suffer from 

 the glare of broad daylight, and was inclined to hide from 

 its effects, but became very active towards the dusk of the 

 evening. The pupil of the eye in this individual, like that 

 of nocturnal animals, appeared indeed dilatable; and the one 

 in question often put down his head and eyes into the 

 water to observe the situation of his prey. This bird was 

 a most expert and indefatigable diver, and remained down, 

 sometimes for several minutes, often swimming under 

 water, and, as it were, flying with the velocity of an arrow 

 in the air. Though at length inclining to become docile, 

 and shewing no alarm when visited, it constantly betrayed 

 its wandering habits, and every night was found to have 

 waddled to some hiding-place, where it seemed to prefer 

 hunger to the loss of liberty, and never could be restrained 

 from exercising its instinct to move onwards to some secure 

 or more suitable asylum.' 



These birds have the faculty of sinking the body below 

 the surface of the water if suddenly alarmed, the head and 

 neck alone being extant. When diving for food, one minute 

 appears to be the usual length of time that they remain 

 below; less, of course, if successful in their pursuit. It is 

 said, however, by Meyer, that they can remain underneath 

 the surface for the long space of three minutes and a half, 

 and that when pursued, the bird manages to dive with ease 

 for one hundred and fifty or a couple of hundred yards. 

 In swimming and diving the legs only appear to be used 

 in general, and not the wings, though the latter are also, 

 according to Audubon. They progress with very great speed 

 if pursued, and dive with instantaneous quickness. They 

 resort to this mode of escape in preference to attempting 

 flight, no doubt for the reason elsewhere spoken of. Mr. 

 Selby asserts, from observation, that they can swim at the 

 rate of more than seven miles an hour. They consort 

 together in small parties of four or five. They are often to 



