The Domestic Life of the Dabchick 



some birds will do, although, as I have shown 

 above, it quite understands raising the nest when 

 used as a nursery. I saw this pair lose two nests 

 of eggs in this way ; a dabchick's nest is fairly 

 soppy at the best of times, but when it gets 

 absolutely water-logged, the case seems to be 

 hopeless. Moreover, the first and largest brood 

 of young they had was hatched just before a 

 tlood, and these all disappeared ; whether they 

 were devoured by fish, or whether sufficient food 

 could not be found in the thick muddy water, I 

 could not decide. But, after all, mistakes like 

 these make birds all the more interesting ; if 

 they acted by infallible instincts, as used to be 

 supposed, they would not be much better than 

 amusing automata. 



As to the details of the dabchicks' hatching 

 arrangements, I have not much to say about them. 

 I found they always left the first egg uncovered, 

 though when more had been added they were 

 very particular about keeping them well hidden. 

 The covering up was done with the bill, not the 

 feet ; and I often saw the nest deserted by both 

 birds for most of the day, the eggs, well concealed 

 under their blanket of wet weed, being left to the 

 power of the sun. Their procedure in this matter 

 was not uniform with every nest, nor did they 

 always select the same site, the nest being some- 

 times in a small clump of bulrushes, and sometimes 



213 



