Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/232

1398 tained an oversight, did I not notice, nearly at the bottom of the preceding page, the expression "acquire the power of going straight to the bottom of the water." Does Mr. Slaney then contend that aquatic birds can "descend to the bottom of the water," irrespective too of its depth, and" there remain submerged and in a quiescent state?" If not, since I have said nothing at all implying any such idea, but the very contrary, I hardly know why the question is put in such a form. I think Mr. Slaney's sugges- tion that the question be referred to such parties as those named by him, a very good one, only let it be put in a proper way. Let what is meant by submergence be clearly defined ; as, e.g., a bird is submerged when, being in a state of rest, it is completely co- vered by the water, all but its bill so far as the nostrils ; and a bird is partially sub- merged when swimming with "the head and neck," or with the "head and neck and part of the back" out of the water. And let the questions be, "Are certain aqua- tic birds ever in the habit of submerging themselves, and remaining submerged for a given length of time ? If the answer be yes, as I know it must be, let the next ques- tion be, "What birds have such habits?" If the answer to this be, as I conceive it will, " Of our English birds, the coot and moorhen, occasionally the dabchick, if not other grebes ; and the young of perhaps most kinds of water-birds;" let the next question be, "Where, and by what means, do they maintain this position?" And I think the answer will be, "Only where there are weeds, and by means of external assistance. The moorhen and the coot by means of their feet grasping the weeds ; the others by wedging themselves in (so to speak) among weeds sufficiently dense and strong to keep them down." In conclusion, I am quite as willing as Mr. Slaney that our controversy should be settled. I have no intention to write on it again. I am sorry it should have worn another appearance than that of amicable controversy. I am convinced that ten minutes' talk would remove much of the apparent difference between us ; and if he should ever visit this very pleasant watering place, and will honour me by a visit, I shall be most truly happy to see him, and to compare notes with him in many an- other matter save that of the moorhen's submergence.—J.C. Atkinson; 7, Belvoir Terrace, Scarborough, June 2nd, 1846.

[I hope this discussion may now be allowed to drop : I think its interest to natu- ralists has ceased, since their object is to know what birds do, not what Messrs. Slaney and Atkinson have said of their doings, and this seems now to constitute the subject- matter of the discussion. — Edward Newman].

P.S. — This memorandum was omitted by mere accident last month ; it was written as an appendage to Mr. Slaney's paper, and seems as much required now as then. — E.N.

— The old cuckoos mostly leave us in this month, but the young birds fre- quently remain till late in September. Cuckoos are very fond of the caterpillars of the burnet-moths (Zygænæ), and several may frequently be seen together searching for them in fields where these insects abound.

— The beautiful purple emperor butterfly (Apatura Iris) appears about the middle of this month, and may be met with in woods where aspens and sallows abound, soaring round the highest trees, and not unfrequently coming down and alighting on wet, muddy spots, where it may readily be captured. It is plentiful in