538 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



from the position of its legs and feet, it is not a 

 great pedestrian, and, although a good flyer when 

 once on the wing, it cannot rise from the land : when 

 on that element it appears to progress more like a 

 seal than a bird, jumping along on its hind legs and 

 wings. 



In a note on the habits of this bird, in the * Zoolo- 

 gist,' Mr. Blake-Knox says he has never been able 

 to keep one tame, as it always wears its feet off by 

 endeavouring to swim on dry land : he adds that it 

 always appears to remain fierce and implacable, 

 flying at any one who approaches it, and a wound 

 from a Northern Diver's beak is no joke. Montagu, 

 on the other hand, mentions one which was kept 

 tame in a pond for a considerable time, and says 

 that it became so tame in a few days that it would 

 come from one side of the pond to the other at the 

 call, to take food from the hand, the food being fish, 

 or, when that failed, raw meat.* Another, mentioned 

 by Yarrell as having been kept partially tame, does 

 not appear in the least to have possessed the amiable 

 temper of Montagu's bird, but would defend himself 

 in great anger by darting at the intruder and striking 

 powerfully with its beak : this bird appears occa- 

 sionally to have come ashore out of his pond to hide 

 and bask in the grass on the edge. 



On the very few occasions on which this bird 



* Montagu's Dictionary, by Newman. 



