BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



71 



In their assertion that " osprey " feathers 

 are cast and picked-up feathers found on 

 breeding-grounds in Venezuela, the trade 

 have rehed largely on statements made 

 by Mayeul Grisol, wlio is described as 

 " Naturalist and explorer of the Honorary 

 Mission of the Museum of Natural History 



at Paris." So incredible did his assertions 

 appear to American naturalists, that the 

 president of the American Natural History 

 Museum cabled an enquiry as to the status 

 of M. Grisol. The reply from Paris received 

 April 22nd, 1911, was : " Mayeul Grisol 

 unknown." 



UcT 



Public'-Scbool Essays. ^^^^ 



TWO BIRDS OF THE RIVERSIDE. 



In the Spring Number of Bird Notes and 

 News, extracts were given from the Essays 

 on Lapwing and Hawk which took first and 

 second places in the Public-School Essay 

 Competition, 1910. The habit of the 

 Lapwing in building sham nests, may be 

 compared with the similar custom of the 

 Water-hen mentioned in one of the j)apers 

 from which quotations are now given. A 

 still more familiar instance is that of the 

 AVren's " cock-nests." 



THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 



" The Grebe lays late in May but I have found fresh 

 eggs as late as June 27th. The nest is a clumsy 

 af?air, consisting of reeds and sedges piled together 

 among the rushes at the edge of a lake. When 

 alarmed, the birds cover up their eggs with pieces 

 of rush before leaving the nest. This, I suppose, 

 is to ensure them against the attacks of Crows and 

 Magpies, to whom they would be quite conspicuous. 

 Whilst on the hunt for food, they sink quite low in 

 the water, holding the head and neck straight and 

 low. , They keep well on the move, and the moment 

 they see anything worthy of notice they dive like a 

 flash, usually coming to the surface to eat. 



" When alarmed also, the bird sinks very low, with 

 head erect, generally uttering the alarm-note, a kind 

 of ' Kek, kek.' WTien put off its nest or badly 

 frightened, it evades its enemy by a series of long 

 dives, and can go for a considerable distance under 

 water. 



" The Great Crested Grebes at Frensham Pond in 

 Surrey seem to stay the whole winter, and to remain 



more or less in pairs, and, there at least, they are 

 apparently not gregarious. I have never seen them 

 fly, although I have no doubt they can, as in some 

 parts of England they are partial migrants. 



" Occasionally I have seen them, in the nesting - 

 time, bathing themselves as ducks often do — by 

 rushing along the surface of the water for a short 

 distance, splashing with their wings and ducking 

 themselves. They spend a lot of their time in 

 floating idly on the water and preening their 

 feathers in the sun. 



" The only two Grebes that I have seen on Frens- 

 ham Pond are the Great Crested and the Little 

 Grebe or Dab-chick. I cannot remember ever 

 having seen or heard of the Sclavonian, Eared, or 

 Red-necked Grebe appearing there ; but I believe 

 it is occasionally seen on the south, coast. I once 

 saw a stiiffed specimen in a shop window at Bognor 

 that was shot in Paghara Harbour. 



" I can well remember the time when there was 

 only one pair of Great Crested Grebes at Frensham, 

 and I have noticed a steady increase in their numbers 

 until now I could count at least a dozen, showing 

 that the bird is less persecuted than formerly. For 

 this, thanks are chiefly due to the laws prohibiting 

 the destruction of our wild-birds, and, more especially 

 the rare ones. I sincerely hope that the Grebe will 

 continue to increase, for I shall never be tired of 

 seeing the beautiful bird floating peacefully on 

 Frensham Pond." 



Oliver Hook {Third Prize, tie). Charterhouse. 



THE MOOR-HEX'S XEST. 



" The nest of the Water-hen or Moor-hen is made 



of reeds and sedge loosely matted together, placed 



on the grovmd by the water, or in a tree on a bough 



overhanging the lake. \Mien, however, these 



