Among the Guests Registered 

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without enough confidence in its cause, eventually found the 

 going too tough and dived to end the battle. The victor 

 uttered what was apparently meant to be a song of triumph 

 and poised to slam the diver when it reappeared. Its emer- 

 gence was only momentary for the blow it received was sharp 

 enough to send it below again, bereft of valor and convinced 

 that other spots in the marsh were more healthy. When it 

 reappeared it was several yards from the winner. Another 

 example of the comparatively trivial was the posing of the 

 white-crested cormorants, black-colored snaky-necked birds, 

 which used to perch on a pile and then stand there for an 

 hour or more with wings outstretched. At first I thought it 

 might be part of a courtship performance, but it is not con- 

 fined to the breeding season. Nor can it be done only to aid 

 wing drying, for I have seen them with wings widespread in 

 the rain. They looked silly, whatever their purpose, and any 



