THE GEEBES. 229 



wild animals appear to fear human beings when they 

 are absolutely still. To lift the hand, or even to turn 

 the head, will frighten them at once ; but as long as a 

 man sits, or even stands still, the wild animals seem 

 to have no fear of him. For this reason, the scare- 

 crows that are stuck up in gardens and fields are really 

 not of the least use, for there is no bird so stupid as to 

 be deceived by them for a single minute. If the scare- 

 crow could be made so as to move its arms in the 

 wind, it might do service in frightening the birds, but 

 as it is generally made, a stump of a tree would be of 

 quite as much use. 



The rapidity with which these pretty little birds 

 dive is very remarkable, especially when their move- 

 ments are quickened by alarm. But even when they 

 are diving for food or amusement, they are wonderfully 

 quick. They pop below the surface so rapidly that 

 the eye can scarcely follow them, and all that can be 

 seen is, that where the Dabchick was a moment ago, 

 nothing is left but a little circle of ripples. Then, 

 when they again reappear, they do so almost as sud- 

 denly as they vanished, popping up to the surface like 

 cork, and nodding their heads in an absurdly self- 

 satisfied manner. Should it see anything which 

 alarms it, the little bird is no sooner up than it is 

 down again, and it will not for some time afterwards 

 show itself openly. 



When alarmed on land, the Dabchick, in common 

 with most aquatic birds, prefers the water to the air 

 by way of refuge. In consequence of its wonderful 

 powers of diving, it has been called doucker, or 

 ducker. As the legs are placed very far back, the 



