. Discovery. Science. DISCOVERY 47 is described as " a growl with a bubble in it," and a " rolling groan " ; perhaps I may leave it at that ! In this position they swam rapidlv across the pool, the male leading, uttering the or}' again and again ; they then turned, and repeated the process, but with the female now leading ; then stopped, and resumed the ordinan,' business of life. We may call this form of courtship the "beak-dipping ; This was the commonest ceremonial of the birds. I saw it both on the little lochs and on the big lagoon, and the strange g
. Discovery. Science. DISCOVERY 47 is described as " a growl with a bubble in it," and a " rolling groan " ; perhaps I may leave it at that ! In this position they swam rapidlv across the pool, the male leading, uttering the or}' again and again ; they then turned, and repeated the process, but with the female now leading ; then stopped, and resumed the ordinan,' business of life. We may call this form of courtship the "beak-dipping ; This was the commonest ceremonial of the birds. I saw it both on the little lochs and on the big lagoon, and the strange guttural cry that was its sure accom- paniment came often to our ears, at all hours of day and night. As far as ceremonies later than the time of pairing up are concerned, the Diver is very similar to the Crested Grebe, but with much less variety of courtship action. The main point of resemblance is that both male and female birds play either interchangeable or identical roles ; there is no courting of one sex by the creatures' antics quite unintelligible. Among a group on the lagoon, there would suddenly be a commotion ; birds would be seen—usually a trio, but sometimes two and sometimes four—ploughing the water in an extraordinary- attitude. Their bodies would be sub- merged (this power of voluntary submersion of the body being common to all Grebes and Divers), but tilted up in such a way that just the breast and shoulders were above water. The neck was stretched stiffly up and forwards, about 30° in front of the vertical; and the head inclined slightly downwards. In this attitude they had a very remarkable appear- ance, like miniature Plesiosauri restored to life. Again, as often in birds' ceremonials, there was a tense, rigid look about their attitude. Resistance to movement must have been considerable, as a wave was thrown off from their advancing breasts. In this attitude they would progress for a considerable distance, less as if one of them were being pursued than a
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