226 BIRD WATER TRESPASSERS. 



of the feet, which are webbed like those of most 

 aquatic birds, except that the web of each toe is sepa- 

 rate, giving to the whole foot the appearance of a 

 ' ' palmated " leaf with three lobes. These birds have 

 many of the habits which belong to the penguins, 

 except that they have fairly powerful -wings, and can 

 fly for long distances. As their legs are short and 

 set very far back, and their bodies and necks are long, 

 they are very bad walkers, having much of the shuffling 

 gait which has already been noticed in the penguin 

 and other sea birds. Indeed, the Grebes do not 

 trouble the land much with their presence, and, except 

 when engaged in sitting on their eggs, pass nearly the 

 whole of their time in the water. 



Several other species of Grebe inhabit these 

 islands, such as the Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps 

 cristatus), and the Eared Grebe (Podiceps auritus), 

 either of these popular names being equally appro- 

 priate to each bird, the ears deserving the name of a 

 crest, and the double crest that of ears. 



As to the Dabchick, it is a queer little bird, with an 

 oddly contradictory way about it. It is at the same 

 time one of the shyest and boldest of birds. It fears 

 the presence of man, and yet frequents his neighbour- 

 hood in a way that few bolder birds would copy. I 

 have often noticed, when travelling by railway, that 

 in the little ponds which are so often found on the 

 edge of the line, there are two aquatic birds namely, 

 the Water Hen and the Dabchick, neither of them 

 being in the least disturbed by the swiftly-rushing 

 train, with all its accompaniments of shriek, roar, 

 rattle and thunder. 



