Birds. 1369 



those attracted by such an unusual circumstance. At three o'clock they suddenly dis- 

 appeared, and not one has since been observed in the neighbourhood. — Barclay 

 Clibbom ; Anner Park, April 25th, 1846. 



Further Notes on the Moorhen, in reply to Mr. Atkinson. — Having read in the May 

 number of the ' Zoologist' Mr. Atkinson's further observations addressed to me rela- 

 tive to the moorhen's power of keeping itself submerged by means of its feet, I feel 

 myself now called upon to give some reply to those and the previous observations 

 which I have not noticed before ; my reasons for not having sooner done so, it is now 

 unnecessary for me to state. Let me first set forth the real points in difference, and 

 then it will appear, whether I have " overlooked '' or altered my position, or Mr. Atkin- 

 son has varied his. In the ' Zoologist,' (Zool. 498) appeared a paper of Mr. Atkinson's 

 under the head, ' Notes on the Moorhen,' in which the following amongst other pas- 

 sages occur. After describing the habits of the dabchick and the moorhen, Mr. At- 

 kinson states with reference to the latter bird : " But after diving, especially if pur- 

 sued by a dog, it seldom comes to the surface again, but remains submerged with 

 merely its beak thrust out for the purpose of respiration.'' He then goes on to remark 

 upon dabchicks and moorhens, and the means they adopt of escaping when alarmed, 

 and adds, with reference to the reappearance of a moorhen that had dived, and which 

 he was watching. " The bill was first thrust higher out of the water, then followed 

 the head as far as the eyes, and then the whole head. Careful glances were thrown 

 round, and if all remained quiet, the whole bird presently reappeared, and it resumed 

 its search after food. I apprehend that no moorhen — that no bird whatever indeed, 

 could put itself into this posture, and retain it independently of external assistance. 

 The feet are the instruments by which they are enabled to remain in the state of sub- 

 mergence." Now I conceived the words used by Mr. Atkinson " this posture," and 

 again, " the state of submergence," could only mean the posture and the state of sub- 

 mergence before described ; namely, with " the bill first thrust higher out of the wa- 

 ter," and then " the whole head " ; and that Mr. Atkinson must be understood to intend 

 that in that state they held themselves by their feet, assisted by means of some exter- 

 nal assistance ; under that impression I sent the following observation to the * Zoolo- 

 gist,' (Zool. 667.) viz. " I venture to trouble you with the following remarks which 

 have occurred to me in consequence of reading in the April number of the ' Zoologist,' 

 under the head of ' Notes on the Moorhen,' some observations with reference to the 

 power which the moorhen possesses of ' submergence, and of keeping its body and all 

 but its beak or head concealed under water, when alarmed by the approach of an 

 enemy. It is stated by your correspondent, (Zool. 498) that the feet are the instru- 

 ments by which they are enabled to remain in this state of submergence.' And that 

 ' they lay hold of some weed or flag, and by the purchase so obtained, resist the ten- 

 dency of the water to buoy up their bodies, &c.'" Those are the words used by me in 

 first stating the nature of the question wherein I differed from Mr. Atkinson, in think- 

 ing that the feet were the power which enabled the moorhen " to remain in this state 

 of submergence," namely that of " its body and all but its beak or head concealed un- 

 der water."' I then proceed to state my reasons for differing from Mr. Atkinson upon 

 that point, and amongst others, that the same power of submergence being possessed 

 by all the duck and diver tribes, the formation of whose feet prevents their acquiring 

 any purchase or hold upon weeds, even if there were any within their reach, and after 

 some further observations, I also added, " But I venture to suggest that the power of 

 submergence is derived from another power possessed by the various classes of water- 



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