. The birds of the British Isles and their eggs . ence,for the bird was wounded, and was tethered to the boat by onefoot ; it could not use the feet simultaneously. The dives are long, but their duration has at times beenexaggerated ; my own timing never exceeded fifty-threeseconds, and thirty was frequent ; two minutes has, however,been recorded. If the bird is diving to a depth it takes aheader, first springing up in the water, but often it sinks withhardly a swirl. Probably small fish are swallowed underwater, but I have seen a large flat fish brought to the surface,and not swallowed until
. The birds of the British Isles and their eggs . ence,for the bird was wounded, and was tethered to the boat by onefoot ; it could not use the feet simultaneously. The dives are long, but their duration has at times beenexaggerated ; my own timing never exceeded fifty-threeseconds, and thirty was frequent ; two minutes has, however,been recorded. If the bird is diving to a depth it takes aheader, first springing up in the water, but often it sinks withhardly a swirl. Probably small fish are swallowed underwater, but I have seen a large flat fish brought to the surface,and not swallowed until it had been shaken and bitten, itsbones well broken. After a dive it almost invariably sipswater, and often turns its head and wipes the side of its faceand probably the bill against its lower back. The call of thedivers is discordant and weird ; Seebohm likens it to the screamof a tortured child ; it is a melancholy wail, an uncouthshriek. Miss Haviland, from whom I borrow the lastexpression, also heard and saw the bird with uplifted bill utter.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookidbirds, bookpublisherlondon
