278 
ANATID^. 
to return to the water. Mr Blake Knox states that when on 
the ground it can spring “ the height of a man’s head, merely 
by the aid of the feet.” An instance of its strength in the water 
was related to me by a gentleman of my acquaintance, and also by 
a lad who was with him at the time the experiment was made. 
Having slightly wounded a Northern Diver, he and the lad 
managed to get it alive into the boat, and then by means of a piece 
of stout line they made it fast by one leg to the stem, and tossed 
it overboard. The poor bird instantly dived, and for many 
minutes steadily towed the boat seawards, remaining entirely 
submerged the whole time, except when it rose for a few seconds 
to breathe. During this extraordinary performance it made use 
of the wings as well as of the feet, — of course being able to 
use only one of the latter freely. The boat was thirteen feet 
in the keel, but light for its size, being, like all those used in 
Shetland, built of light Xorway pine. 
Dr A. Edmonston was perhaps the first in Shetland to dis- 
card the erroneous and absurd ideas which prevailed with 
regard to this species, and his example was immediately fol- 
lowed by other writers. In his account of it in the ‘‘ View of 
the Zetland Islands” (vol ii. p. 248) he concludes by ex- 
pressing his belief that it “ can fly, but that it uses its wings 
only at particular seasons of the year.” It has been seen upon 
wing at all seasons, but, so far as I have observed, very rarely 
at any other than spring. It then often fiies to a great height, 
circling over land and water in an undecided sort of manner, 
at intervals uttering loud hoarse screams. At such times it 
may easily be known by its long thick neck, and by its short 
rapidly-beating wings. Indeed, one cannot but feel surprised 
at the doubts which still exist in some quarters as to its powers 
of flight. The wings being small, and placed far back, cer- 
tainly give it a rather ungainly appearance in the air, but, for 
all that, the bird is able to fly vigorously and with considerable 
velocity. I have seen it on the wing in Xovember flying up 
the voe at Balta Sound. 
It is fond of searching for the sand launce, which frequent 
