236 BIRD WATER TRESPASSERS. 



never dream of looking for it on the bank which it had 

 quitted so precipitously. 



I once employed the same ruse very successfully. 

 There was a game very popular at Oxford. We used 

 to jump into the river, and try to catch each other 

 under water a sort of aquatic ' ' prisoners' base/' and 

 with some of the same rules. There was one very 

 good swimmer of whom I was rather afraid, as he 

 immediately followed me. It must be remembered 

 that to catch your predecessor is easier than to avoid 

 being caught by your successor. You can see the 

 man whom you are chasing, but you do not know what 

 your pursuer is doing, or how near he may be. So, 

 as soon as I entered the water, I gave a strong curl and 

 twist of the body, so as to bring me under the bank, 

 where I held on to the lowest step of the bathing- 

 ladder. My pursuer consequently jumped over me, and 

 while he made a momentary pause, and was looking 

 for me ahead, found himself unexpectedly seized by 

 the ankle. Unfortunately, that is a trick which cannot 

 be played twice. 



The Water Hen has another method of concealing 

 itself, which is even superior to the art of the dabchick. 

 When it is really anxious about its safety, and dives, 

 it swims to some place where there is a patch of weeds 

 or aquatic vegetation, and rises very slowly, with its 

 head stretched upwards. It does not allow even its 

 head to appear above the surface, but only shows the 

 beak as far as the nostrils. Bishop Stanley says that 

 when these rather combative birds fight, the van- 

 quished one acknowledges his defeat by diving and not 

 appearing again. He merely keeps his beak above the 



