My First Summer 



living in the water, and never leaves the 

 streams. It is not web-footed, yet it dives 

 fearlessly into deep swirling rapids, evi- 

 dently to feed at the bottom, using its wings 

 to swim with under water just as ducks and 

 loons do. Sometimes it wades about in 

 shallow places, thrusting its head under 

 from time to time in a jerking, nodding, 

 frisky way that is sure to attract attention. 

 It is about the size of a robin, has short crisp 

 wings serviceable for flying either in water 

 or air, and a tail of moderate size slanted 

 upward, giving it, with its nodding, bobbing 

 manners, a wrennish look. Its color is plain 

 bluish ash, with a tinge of brown on the 

 head and shoulders. It flies from fall to fall, 

 rapid to rapid, with a solid whir of wing- 

 beats like those of a quail, follows the wind- 

 ings of the stream, and usually alights on 

 some rock jutting up out of the current, or 

 on some stranded snag, or rarely on the dry 

 limb of an overhanging tree, perching like 

 regular tree birds when it suits its conven- 

 [ 88 ] 



