THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



77 



DO WADING BIRDS SWIM? 



The first question is, "Can they swim?", 

 the next question is, "Do they swim?" 

 Nearly everybody has seen one or more 

 species of the Rail family swim, though 

 these birds are no more web-footed than 

 a chicken. For an example of their swim- 

 ming powers, I will take the California 

 Clapper Rail for illustration, it being the 

 commonest Rail in my district. This bird 

 swims very well when it has to, but like 

 other waders prefers to keep its body dry, 

 but when tracked through the reeds and 

 marsh grass in its customary abodes by the 

 sportsman, it will, when too closely pressed 

 by the dog, try a game of bluff by swim- 

 ming a narrow creek or slough in an en- 

 deavor to throw the dog off the scent; and 

 when wounded I have known them to drop 

 into the water and elude detection by sub- 

 merging the body and holding to a blade of 

 coarse grass by the bill, with only the head 

 out of water. 



You have often heard that a hen cannot 

 swim, and so have I, but I knocked that 

 saying into a cocked hat by throwing sev- 

 eral hens into a pond of water, and caught 

 them as they came to the shore and repeated 

 their natatorial instructions several times, 

 and when quite satisfied that they knew 

 how to swim I allowed them to sneak away 

 — "wetter than drowned rats. " 



But to resume my subject. Here is an- 

 other case that came under my observa- 

 tion: two Great Blue Herons reposing 

 calmly upon the bosom of a very wide 

 slough. I have often hunted there with a 

 boat and knew the water to be deep enough 

 to float a good-sized schooner. Whether 

 they swam or not I had not time to deter- 

 mine, but I have said before that the water 

 was more than deep enough for the purpose. 



On various occasions I have seen Sand- 

 peeps sitting on the waters of San Fran- 

 cisco Bay in calm weather right in the 

 course of the ferry-boats, and I have also 

 been informed by reliable parties of similar 

 cases. 



If this article finds its way into print, I 

 would be pleased to hear of the observa- 

 tions of other ornithologists on this sub- 

 ject. D. A. Cohen. 



Alameda, CaL, Dec. 5, 1893. 



THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER IN 

 NEW MEXICO. 



A Great Northern diver was captured 

 about three miles south of Las Vegas, on 

 the Gallinas river. It was young, its eyes 

 not having attained the bright red of the 

 older bird, and its plumage was rather dull. 

 It is the only one, so far as I know, that 

 has ever visited New Mexico. The bird 

 was set free on one of the lakes, but it died 

 from sickness or starvation. When first 

 found it was completely lost and unable to 

 find sustenance in a small creek. 



Emerson Atkins. 



East Las Vegas, N. M. 



THE WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL 

 CHAPTER OF THE A. A. 



The December election of officers resulted 

 as follows: President, Williard N. Clute, 

 Binghamton, N. Y.; Vice-President, Reu- 

 ben M. Strong, Oberlin, O.; Secretary, 

 William B. Caulk, Terre Haute, Ind.; 

 Treasurer, Lynds Jones, Oberlin, O. 



The Chapter is in a very flourishing con- 

 dition, with seventy-three active; four hon- 

 orary, and thirty-one associate members. 

 The past year has been devoted to a special 

 study of the Warblers, and the forthcom- 

 ing report promises to make a very inter- 

 esting paper. Any information regarding 

 the Chapter will be cheerfully furnished by 

 the secret-ary. 



Mr. J. Parker Norris of Philadelphia has just 

 finished his annual count of his collection of eggs, 

 and found that it embraced 573 species, 5002 sets, 

 and 20,398 eggs. It is undoubtedly the largest pri- 

 vate collection in the United States, and is entirely 

 composed of sets. Especial care has been exer- 

 cised to have none but autheniic specimens. The 

 collection is especially strong in large series, 

 notably of Warblers and Raptores. 



