CHAPTEK XII 



A Week in Derbyshire 



Ax invitation from an enthusiastic ornithologist to spend a 

 few days luider his guidance among the birds of Derbyshire 

 was too good a chance to miss, and accordingly one day 

 early in June, 1908, I stepped out of the train, and found my 

 friend waiting for me, witli the intelligence that he thought 

 he could take me to a Tufted Duck's nest that afternoon. 



After a hasty meal, off we started to some large ponds 

 about three miles away ; and sure enough, on nearing our 

 destination, a pair or two of these ducks were seen about 

 the neighbourhood of a small island. Having on our way 

 procured the key of the boathouse from the keeper, we 

 soon found ourselves afloat in a small and remarkably crank 

 boat, in shape not unlike a tul). Shoving oiu* craft in 

 between the overhanging alder-branches, we stepped out 

 very gingerly, for caution was much needed to avoid 

 capsizing. We connnenced our search among the dry grass 

 wliicli covered the small island, each of us taking one side 

 till we met again, liaving found nothing but a fine specimen 

 of a Coot's nest, a bulky mass of sticks at tlie base of an 

 alder-tree a couple of feet out in the water. As we felt 



