126 THE COOT. 



with which they manage to elude pursuit. On seeing 

 a fleet of these little red-headed floaters, paddling 

 away in the rear of their two velvet-coated parents, 

 we have often given chase. It is not till the danger 

 of capture becomes imminent, that the old ones 

 desert their charge, first giving the convoy a signal 

 to disperse, by a few short but most expressive 

 clucks. When hard pressed, the young bird dives, 

 and, if the water is clear, may be traced, working 

 away with all its energies; but, after remaining 

 about a minute below, during which time it will 

 dive some fifteen or twenty yards, it is forced to 

 rise, and the chase is renewed. After a few divings, 

 it becomes exhausted, and is easily taken. The 

 downy covering, too, seems to partake of the 

 weakened force of the body; for the harder the little 

 bird is pressed, the more susceptible is it of moisture; 

 and, instead of rising above the water glossy and 

 dry, like a powder-puff, it becomes wet and spongy. 

 Should it, however, contrive to gain a patch of 

 weeds before it is quite exhausted, it seems to dis- 

 appear by magic ; in vain is its rising looked for, 

 not a ripple betrays its progress; and, had we not 

 been fortunate enough, in several instances, to detect 

 it, cowering about an inch below the surface, its 

 body under the shelter of a floating leaf, and its 

 beak projecting just to admit an occasional supply 

 of air, we might have concluded that the poor little 

 bird had either fallen in with a pike, or fairly foun- 

 dered. As if conscious of their safety, we have 

 watched them, remaining motionless for several 

 minutes together, and then taken them up before 

 they had time to struggle. 



