PODICIPIN^E. SYLBEOCYCLUS. 205 



Nostrils submedial, linear- oblong. Eyes rather small ; a 

 bare space from the eye to the bill. Aperture of ear ex- 

 tremely small. Feet large ; tibia long, but enveloped, un- 

 less at the end ; tarsus short, extremely compressed, anteri- 

 orly with small scutella, posteriorly with two series of small, 

 prominent, pointed scales, directed downwards, the sides with 

 broad scutella ; hind toe small, with broad margins ; an- 

 terior toes long, obliquely flattened, the outer longest, all 

 with lateral expansions, and connected by webs at the base ; 

 claws small, depressed, oblong, third pectinato -serrate at the 

 end. Plumage very soft and blended, on the lower parts 

 silky ; scapulars very long and decurved ; wings small, nar- 

 row, convex, the outer two quills longest ; tail a slight tuft 

 of downy plumelets. The species are extremely active, dive 

 and swim with amazing celerity, and feed on small fishes, 

 aquatic coleoptera, helices, and seeds. 



275. SYLBEOCYCLUS EUROP^EUS. EUROPEAN DABCPIICK. 



Male about ten inches long, with the bill ten-twelfths in 

 length, stout, compressed, black, with the tips pale ; head and 

 neck tuftless ; tarsus with the posterior scales very promi- 

 nent ; upper part of the head and throat black ; sides and 

 fore part of the neck chestnut ; breast and sides of the body 

 dusky ; upper parts greenish-black ; primary quills greyish- 

 brown, most of the secondaries white, unless on the outer 

 web toward the end. Female similar to the male, but smal- 

 ler. Young with the lower mandible and basal sides of the 

 upper pale-brown, the upper part dusky ; the head and hind 

 neck brownish-grey, the cheeks and sides of the neck pale- 

 reddish, mixed with brown ; the fore part of the breast and 

 sides of the body light-yellowish-brown, the rest of the lower 

 parts and the throat white ; the upper parts dusky, the fore 

 part of the back and the scapulars greyish-yellow. Indivi- 

 duals vary considerably in colour, the lower parts in particu- 

 lar being more or less dusky. 



Male, 10, 17, 4, 1, 1 ^, l, V ? . Female, 9-J. 



The Dabchick floats, swims, dives, and, as I have ascer- 

 tained from observation, flies under water, with astonishing 

 ease and activity. "When surprised, it eludes its enemy by 

 slipping beneath the surface, and not appearing until a good 

 way off. It is seldom seen to fly, but on wing it proceeds in 

 a direct course, with great speed. When frightened it sinks 

 so as to leave exposed nothing but the head. Its food con- 



