THE COOT. 
125 
with which they manage to elude pursuit. On seeing 
a fleet of these little red-headed floaters, paddling 
away in the rear of their two velvet-coated parents, 
we have often given chase. It is not till the danger 
of capture becomes imminent, that the old ones 
desert their charge, first giving the convoy a signal 
to disperse, by a few short but most expressive 
clucks. When hard pressed, the young bird dives, 
and, if the water is clear, may he traced, working 
away with all its energies; hut, after remaining 
about a minute below, during which time it will 
dive some fifteen or twenty yards, it is forced to 
rise, and the chase is renewed. After a few divings, 
it becomes exhausted, and is easily taken. The 
downy covering, too, seems to partake of the 
weakened force of the body; for the harder the little 
bird is pressed, the more susceptible is it of moisture ; 
and, instead of rising above the water glossy and dry, 
like a powder-puff, it becomes wet and spongy. 
Should it, however, contrive to gain a patch of 
weeds before it is quite exhausted, it seems to dis- 
appear by magic ; in vain is its rising looked for,-—? 
not a ripple betrays its progress ; and, had we not 
been fortunate enough, in several instances, to detect 
it, cowering about an inch below the surface, its 
body under the shelter of a floating leaf, and its 
beak projecting just to admit an occasional supply 
of air, we might have concluded that the poor little 
bird had either fallen in with a pike, or fairly foun- 
dered. As if conscious of their safety, we have 
watched them, remaining motionless for several 
minutes together, and then taken them up before 
they had time to struggle. 
