6 TME SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



a fortnight before, the female was sitting very close and only left 

 the nest when I was opposite it on the shore (about 5 to 10 yards 

 off), I began to fear that something was wrong. We sat down 

 on the opposite side of the loch and watched the pair with 

 glasses. They gradually worked their way down the loch, away 

 from us. 



While we were watching, one of my friends said, "I see a 

 young one in the water." I looked and saw this also, then 

 another and another, and we saw them climbing on to the back 

 of one of the old birds. The other proceeded to dive for food, 

 and came up frequently to feed the chicks on the other's back. 

 The duties were changed once while we watched, the chicks 

 going on to the back of the bird which had been feeding them, 

 and the other going in search of food. H. Harold G. Lees, 

 Galashiels. 



Great Crested Grebes in Forfarshire. I have read the 

 most interesting contribution relating to the Great Crested Grebe 

 in the May-Jiine number of the Scottish Naturalist. 



Four years ago the Great Crested Grebe was nesting in the 

 Dundee Water Reservoirs at Monikie. Lord Dalhousie's game- 

 keeper told me he had seen the birds there and found 

 their nests. Douglas G. Hunter, Arbroath. 



Arrival and Breeding of Great Crested Gretoes at 

 Dupplin Lochs. Seeing that information is asked for regarding 

 the first date on which the Great Crested Grebe bred on Dupplin 

 Lochs, Perthshire, I am sending the following notes. On 20th 

 March 1903 one bird arrived there and stayed all summer, but 

 never got a mate; in 1904 one bird was seen on 5th March and 

 two on the 25th; that season they nested for the first time and 

 reared two young. Since then they have bred there every year. 

 The birds arrive nearly the same time every year. In twelve 

 out of the fifteen years between 1905 and 19 19 they appeared at 

 the lochs between ist and 4th March; in 1909 they arrived on 

 27th February; in 1905 on 9th March; and in 1919 on 17th March, 

 this last being a very cold month. By 1907 two pairs of Great 

 Crested Grebes were breeding here, three pairs in 19 10. and 

 this year, 19 19, I saw seven Grebes and found three nests and 

 eggs and what I thought was the beginning of a fourth. John 

 Cranma, Dupplin. 



[The above information forms a most useful supplement to our 

 original paper, and we are very grateful to the correspondents who 

 have been kind enough to send it. E. V. B. and L. J. R.] 



