ON THE POWERS OF CERTAIN WATER BIRDS. 509 



ON THE POWER THAT CERTAIN WATER BIRDS POSSESS 

 OF REMAINING PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN DEEP 

 WATER. 



BY BEVERLEY R. MORRIS, M.D. 



Read before the Canadian Institute, February 22nd, 1862. 



In watching the habits of some of the more aquatic of the water 

 birds, I have often been greatly struck by the remarkable power many 

 of them possess of keeping the body submerged for some time after 

 they have allowed the head and neck to appear, on coming to the 

 surface after a dive caused by fear. As far as my own observations go, 

 birds do not make use of this precautionary measure when entirely 

 undisturbed and ignorant of being watched : on such occasions, I 

 believe, they always come up at once completely, and without any 

 but the necessary interval between the emergence of the head and the 

 upper part of the body. After having noticed this curious and self- 

 preservative power once, it was impossible that I should not speculate 

 as to the mode in which the bird accomplished this singular but most 

 useful manoeuvre. 



In watching sea birds, such as the Cormorant, the larger divers, 

 and the Guillemot, I have often seen them, when emerging from a 

 dive caused by fear, project the head and neck first out of the water, 

 the body remaining completely out of sight ; the bird then looks 

 round to see if any danger is near ; if it is not satisfied with the 

 appearance of things, it is under water in an instant, and probably 

 does not come up again till at a considerable distance. Should, how- 

 ever, all be secure, after a few seconds it allows the usual portion of 

 the body to appear, and this is evidently dependent on the will of the 

 bird. On other occasions, when not much alarmed, instead of again 

 diving it will allow the body to be slightly emerged, and continue 

 swimming for some time in this state of partial submergence — like a 

 deeply laden ship. To show how completely the position of the bird 

 in the water, as to submergence, entire or partial, is under its own 

 control, I will give one or two short extracts from the "American 

 Birds" of the talented Audubon. In speaking of the Plotus anhinya, 

 or Snake bird, he says:— "The anhinga is in truth the very first of 



