630 CLASS AVES. 



species of Surinam is remarkable, according to Brown, for 

 having the head and body in perpetual motion. It lives on 

 flies, and often becomes domestic. Gmelin adds, that it 

 catches those insects with exceeding dexterity ; but this pecu- 

 liarity has been mentioned by Fermin as appertaining to 

 another bird, which he calls " Oiseau du Soleil,'''' which has 

 been erroneously approximated to the bird in question. Con- 

 cerning this bird) very little indeed has been ascertained, 

 either as to its manners or its propagation. It is found in 

 Paraguay, as well as Surinam, and there is another species 

 in Senegal. 



The DivEKS proper are northeni birds, which swim ex- 

 tremely well, and dive with such celerity that they often 

 evade a shot directed against them, sinking at the very 

 moment the flash appears ; so that the fowlers are obliged to 

 conceal it from them, by placing a bit of pasteboard near the 

 pan. These birds cannot support themselves on land except 

 in a position nearly vertical, and by the assistance of their 

 wings, which thus act as oars. Sometimes they fall with 

 their belly flat upon the groimd^ and have no small difficulty 

 in raising themselves up ; accordingly, they come to land 

 only during the season of reproduction. The eggs are two 

 in number, and deposited by the female on small islets and 

 promontories ; they feed on fish, of which they are great 

 destroyers, on spawn, on aquatic insects, and sometimes on 

 certain plants. They are seen in our climates only when the 

 rivers and ponds of cold countries are frozen ; and as they 

 fly very well, they return after the thaw to their northern 

 habitat. 



The Colymhns Glacicdis inhabits the arctic seas of both 

 worlds, and is very common in the Hebrides, in Norway, in 

 Sweden, and in Russia. It is also found in the more northern 

 parts of this kingdom, and generally along the coasts of the 

 Atlantic ; it is a bird of passage ; it especially pursues her- 



