42 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



are expert swimmers, and dive with the 

 greatest ease, remaining long under water. 

 The grebes haunt ponds, lakes, and broads ; 

 the divers prefer the open sea. Both feed 

 on fish. 



GREBES 



Of the numerous species of grebe, the 

 most familiar are the GREAT CRESTED Gki i i: 

 and the little DAHCHICK. The former has 

 suffered grievous persecution for the sake of 

 its beautiful breast-feathers, which Fashion 

 decreed should be worn by the gentler sex 

 in the form of muffs or hats. Thus a price 

 was set upon the head of this beautiful and 

 harmless bird, and its ranks were speedily 

 thinned. Some species wear during the 

 nesting-season beautiful chestnut or golden 

 " ears," " horns," or " frills" on the head and 

 neck. The EARED GREBE is especially mag- 

 nificent at this time. 



DIVERS 



These, as already remarked, are sea- 

 loving birds, but they breed inland on the 

 shores of lakes. There are not many species 

 of divers, but, like the grebes, they assume 

 a special dress during the nesting-season, more 

 beautiful than the winter dress. 



THE PENGUINS 



TllE PENGUINS may justly be called won- 

 derful birds, and they arc undoubtedly of very 

 ancient descent. For counties* generations the 

 sea has been their home and refuge, and, in 



-.*, : P. D ^., ,.*,.] [,..,.. M consequence, flight has been abandoned in ex- 



BLACK-FOOTED PENGUIN ?"*& for increased swimming-powers, which 



have been gained bv transforming the wing 



Ttn bird, alw katvia ai ike Cafe or Jackass-fenruin, ireeJt in ... .... . ,- . '. 



kurrw, or under UJgei cf rock iiitoa paddle. 1 his transformation lias resulted 



in Battening the wing-bones and so increas- 

 ing the surface of the hand and arm whilst reducing its thickness ami the suppression of the 

 quill-feathers. The result is a blade-like paddle closely resembling the paddle of the whale, 

 the turtle, or the extinct fish-lizards. XYith this organ they cleave their way through the water, 

 often far below the surface, in pursuit of food, just as of old their ancestors did through the 

 air. In other diving-birds the wings arc kept closely pressed to the side of the liody when 

 under water, whilst the locomotion is effected by the feet. The penguin's legs, in consequence 

 of diminished use, have shortened considerably. Hut besides the wings and legs, the feathery 

 covering has also undergone a certain amount of change. This h.is been effected by increasing 

 the size of the shaft of the feather and diminishing the vane; as a result, on the front part 

 of the wings these feathers look more like scales than feathers. 



Professor Moselev has vividly described the appearance of a flock of penguins at sea. He 

 writes from Tristan d'Actmhn: "As we approached the shore, I was astonished at seeing a 



