BRITISH BIRDS. , 125 



and states that in the " Privy-purse expenses of Henry VIII. are various 

 entries relating to stalking-horses, all of which appear to refer to the live 

 animal." It seems that one was sometimes made of a piece of old canvas, in 

 form of a horse ; and the name is thus applied to any screen from observa- 

 tion used to shoot fowl. 



COLYMBUS GLACIALIS. 



. (Great Northern Diver.) 



The Great Northern Diver is sometimes killed off Brio-hton. I saw one shot, 

 January 10, 1859 : it was a young bird ; and the chase after it lasted an hour. 

 It contained several sprats and bits of fish ; these probably had been picked 

 up at sea, as it swallows its prey whole. 



The following curious story appeared in the 'Times,' Tuesday, Nov. 13, 

 I860:— 



" Extraordinary Capture. — On the forenoon of Saturday last some of 

 the fishermen resident at Ackergill, while pursuing their avocation in the 

 bay, had their attention directed to a large fish struggling and plunging on 

 the surface of the water, at no great distance from their boat. Presuming 

 that the fish had got attached to some of their lines, and that in consequence 

 it could easily be secured, they at once directed their course towards it ; but 

 a closer approach revealed to their surprise the true source of its annoyance. 

 The fish, while swimming near the surface in search of prey, had seized hold 

 of some large bird, which it had partly swallowed, but which it was unable, 

 from the size and energetic resistance of its victim, to drag beneath. The 

 singular appearance of the widely extended wings of the bird, which franti- 

 cally thrashed the water, at one extremity, and the occasional glimpse which 



s 2 



