The Domestic Life of the Dabchick 



swim, either in an earthen vessel or a masonry- 

 tank, and when enjoying himself in the water he 

 showed that he discriminated at any rate between 

 natives and white men, for he would dive at once 

 when a black man approached, while I could lift 

 him out of the water on my hand as if he were 

 a child's toy duck. I never tested him to see 

 whether he knew me individually, but I think 

 this was probable. 



When a photograph of the bird, unfortun- 

 ately too dim for reproduction here, was taken, 

 I had to keep my hand near it, as it refused to 

 stand still otherwise ; and, even if this were 

 due to its natural fear of the kites which were 

 wheeling overhead, it says something for the 

 intelligence of the little creature that it looked 

 to me for protection. The mention of its stand- 

 ing reminds me of the fallacy of the statement 

 sometimes to be met with in bird-books, that 

 grebes are unable to stand up like other birds. 

 I have constantly found them able thus to stand, 

 and also to walk about. 



I am glad to say that I have not to record 

 the " untimely end " so often deplored in the case 

 of pets, especially small ones ; for soon after the 

 bird's wings were fledged, I turned it out on the 

 above-mentioned pond in the Indian Museum 

 grounds, where it stayed in complete liberty, 

 though losing its remarkable tameness in a day 



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