154 KECOKDS VOLUME XI, NOV. 1919. 



twentieth of March, and the birds continued 

 to lay from that time until the middle of 

 April. The newly hatched j^oung are desti- 

 tute of down, and their naked skin is black 

 and shining as if polished with shoe black- 

 ing. 



Late in May, the young, covered with 

 black down, are nearly full grown, but still 

 remain in the nest, as being without feath- 

 ers, of course they cannot Hy, and are regu- 

 larly fed by their parents. If approached at 

 this season, however, they display all of the 

 wariness of the adults, for, after disgorging 

 the contents of their stomachs (as is the cus- 

 tom w^ith the young of many fish eating 

 birds when disturbed) they will drop from 

 the nests or the limbs on which they perch 

 into the water, for the bases of the trees in 

 which their homes are placed, are nearly al- 

 ways submerged; after which it is almost im- 

 possible to secure one, as they dive into the 

 water and swim both on its surface and be- 

 neath it with the greatest ease. 



