PALMIPEDES. 



363 



along, not by alternate strokes of the feet, as in a 

 common walking motion, but by striking with both 

 at once, as a Frog does."* The head, in most of the 

 species, is furnished with tufts, as may be seen in our 

 little Dabchick, (P. Minor.) 



Colymbus,~\ the Diver, 



The feet now assume the form peculiar to the 

 Order, the toes being united by a membrane stretch- 

 ed between them ; the hind toe is still free. There 

 are but three species, all Arctic birds, but occasion- 

 ally seen on the coasts of Britain. They are of con- 

 siderable size, the Loon (C. Glacialis) being two 

 feet six inches in length. It is of a blackish hue, 

 prettily varied with round white dots. It walks, 

 from the position of the feet, very awkwardly. One 

 in the possession of Colonel Montagu, when it quit- 

 ted the water, shoved its body along upon the ground 

 like a Seal, by jerks, rubbing the breast against the 

 ground, and returned again to the water in a similar 

 manner. J It is difficult to shoot these birds, as they 

 dive with incredible velocity the instant the trigger 

 is pulled. 



Uria, the Guillemot. 



With the smooth, straight, pointed beak of the 

 Divers, the Guillemots differ from them, in having 

 short and powerless wings, and in wanting the hind 



* Mudie, Birds, p. 280. f KoXvftpuu, kolymbao, to dive. 



t Orn. Die., p. 309. The Latin name of a kindred bird. 



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