. The natural history of birds . ter than they can accom-plish with the ordinary swimming motion, at its fullstretch, they take to the wing, and if they do not getso high as merely to tip the water with their feet, asthe skimming birds do, they make the same flutter,and generally utter painful cries, as barn-door fowlsdo when forced to the wing. The swimming ducks are less upon the water thanswans, as a considerable part of their food is foundon laud, and they are incapable of reaching the FEET OF DUCKS. 287 bottom in so deep water. Their bodies are also notquite so well trimmed to the action
. The natural history of birds . ter than they can accom-plish with the ordinary swimming motion, at its fullstretch, they take to the wing, and if they do not getso high as merely to tip the water with their feet, asthe skimming birds do, they make the same flutter,and generally utter painful cries, as barn-door fowlsdo when forced to the wing. The swimming ducks are less upon the water thanswans, as a considerable part of their food is foundon laud, and they are incapable of reaching the FEET OF DUCKS. 287 bottom in so deep water. Their bodies are also notquite so well trimmed to the action of the swimming-feet, and they labour and wriggle more, both laterallyand vertically, so that, though they can float aboutfor a considerable time, they are much sooner tiredwhen they attempt to swim upon a stretch. Theseducks have the tarsi longer, the toes shorter, and theaction of the foot in swimming not so much to therear. The sheldrake is the most landward ; but thefoot of the common duck is perhaps very nearly Feet of the swimming and the diving Ducks, The diving ducks are bad walkers, and seldomupon land ; but they are more compact in the buildof their bodies than the swimmers. When, however,we speak of swimmers and divers, as contrasted witheach other, we must bear in mind that there is nodefinite species with which the one ends or the otherbegins ; for there are species in the middle of thegroup, partaking in nearly an equal degree of thehabits of those at both extremities. The divers have 288 FEET OF mVING BIRDS. the tarsi short, the tibiee rather lengthened, whichthrows the joint of the tarsus backward ; the toes andwebs larger, and the hind toe with a little web. Theydo not dive habitually ; for though they are lessfitted for dabbling than the others, they do practiseit a little, and they also feed along- the strands ; butthey often appear to get down for change of motion,as well as for food ; and on such occasions they movemore quickly below the water
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