204 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



weather seems to disturb them, for they will go fish- 

 ing in the stormiest gale, and fish indefinitely be- 

 neath tlie waves, paying no attention to the weather 

 above, and only rising occasionally to the surface 

 of the water to get a breath of air before diving 

 again to their delicate submarine dinners. 



These birds, with their wonderful power of div- 

 ing, and the abihty to crush hard shells, find the 

 matter of earning a living very easy. As the mus- 

 sels do not move, the scaups and eiders can dive 

 to a boimteous feast whenever they are hungry. 

 On the other hand, many of the fishing birds, such 

 as the razor-bills, gulls, and ducks, which have to 

 seek out and pursue their prey, are somewhat de- 

 pendent upon the weather, and are often very hun- 

 gry and half -starved in the winter. 



In their fishing, birds are the best of sportsmen, 

 as they stake their very lives upon the result, and 

 use their wits with astonishing success in order to 

 insure themselves against failure. All those that 

 live entirely by fishing have peculiar powers which 

 aid them in the capture of their food, and this is 

 true of all other means of livelihood in the bird 

 world. But intelligence, strategy, and sustained 

 physical efi^ort are likewise necessary, and every 

 species has its own proportion of these requirements 

 to face. 



