348 
SWIMMERS. 
twang of the bow. In the summer season it is seen abundantly 
on rivers and freshwater lakes throughout the fur countries, 
where it breeds in June, and about Hudson Bay it is said to 
make its nest in hollow trees in the woods contiguous to water, 
— a provision of some importance, probably, from the impo- 
tent manner in which the birds of this group proceed on the 
ground. In autumn and winter these birds are seen almost in 
every part of the Union, sometimes frequenting the sea-shores, 
but more ]>articularly rivers and lakes. They are observ^ed in 
Missouri, and on the Mississippi round Natchez. In February 
they were very abundant on the river Neuse in North Carolina, 
in the vicinity of Newbern, and used to dive very de.\terously 
and perseveringly in quest of their food, which at that time is 
principally fluviatile apcl submerged vegetables, particularly the 
sea-wrack ; they also sometimes visit the bays and salt-marshes 
in quest of the laver, or Ulva lacitwn, as well as Crustacea and 
small shell-fish. 'I'hey are often exceedingly fat, and in Penn- 
sylvania and New Jersey are commonly known by the ridiculous 
name of Butter- Bo.x, or Butter-Ball. 4'heir flesh, however, like 
that of the preceding species, is not in very high request for 
the table ; but the females and young, which are almost the 
only kinds that visit this part of Massachusetts in winter, are 
very tender and well flavored. 
In February, the males are already engaged in jealous con- 
tests for the selection of their mates, and the birds are then 
seen assembled in small flocks of both sexes. The drake is 
now heard to (ji/ak, and seen repeatedly to move his head 
backward and forward in the frolicksome humor of our do- 
mestic Ducks ; and by about the middle of April or early in 
May every single individual will have disappeared on its way 
to the natal regions of the species in the North. 
from their great propensity to diving, these birds are com- 
monly known in the Carolinas by the name of Dippers; when 
wounded or hit with a shot, they will often dive or conceal 
themselves with such art that they seem to have buried them- 
selves in the water, and probably often remain wholly submerged 
to the bill, or disappear in the jaws of a pike. 
