OBSEllVED IN nEETFOKDSHIRE IN 1895. 81 



Little Auk {Merguhis alle). — A bird of this species was picked 

 lip at Sarratt on or about January of last year, and was to have 

 been reported in the ' Field ' ; but at that time these birds were 

 obtained in such numbers in various parts of the country, that the 

 report was crowded out, and the bird was not recorded in that 

 paper. The little auk has occurred on five former occasions in 

 Hertfordshire, the last being on November 22nd, 1893, when 

 one was picked up between Litlington and Royston. 



Great Chested Grebe [Podicipes cristatus). — This magnificent 

 bird, now so scarce in most parts of England, is, I am pleased 

 to say, comparatively plentiful at the Tring Reservoirs, where 

 I should think there were from forty to fifty pairs in 1895. They 

 arrived there about the middle of March, coming in the night. 

 I heard several of them utter a kind of croak when I first saw 

 them on March 16th. When they begin building, they fly about 

 a good deal, and are at that time rather noisy. They usually fly 

 very noiselessly, and when flying show a large patch of white on 

 their wings. 1 examined some of their nests one day, all of which 

 were made of decayed water-weeds, built on a foundation of dead 

 reed-stems, and were placed in the water among the reeds. In all 

 the nests the eggs were either partially or totally covered up with 

 weeds, and the largest number that I found in one nest was four. 

 These birds sometimes catch fish so large that they can scarcely 

 swallow them. Young birds appear to be of a greyish colour 

 striped with brown. The grebes left the Reservoirs about 

 November 6th. 



Little Grebe {Podicipes fluviatilis). — This bird seems very 

 plentiful on the rivers Gade and Colne. They make a noise 

 very like the laughing note of a kestrel. In the breeding plumage, 

 they have a very bright chestnut- coloured throat. 1 examined 

 several of their nests. They were always built of decayed water- 

 plants, and were, with one exception, floating nests, that is to say, 

 nests built on the water, but anchored by some weeds. The 

 exception was placed on the bank by the side of the water, which 

 is a veiy unusual place for this bird to build in. These birds 

 usually cover up their eggs when they leave their nest, using their 

 beak to put the weeds over ; these weeds used for covering up the 

 eggs were always fresh and green. They sit very high on the nest, 

 and when cb-iven off quickly return, using their beak to uncover 

 the eggs, and not their feet as one might suppose ; when they have 

 returned to their nest they lay the weeds from off the eggs all 

 round the nest, so that they can easily reach them if again 

 disturbed. The largest number of eggs I have found in one nest 

 was five. This biitl is, curiously enough, far from plentiful at the 

 Reservoirs. 



