LITTLE GREBE. 259 



a gas-lamp, wliich was above liim, and immediately after- 

 wards falling- upon his head. The bird was picked up 

 alive, but died on the following day. The lamp to which 

 it apj)eared to have directed its course is fixed to a wall 

 facing the south-east, from which quarter a sharp gale 

 was blowing at the time." In January, 1880, when the 

 weather was very severe, and " the channel filled with 

 veritable icebergs," Mr. J. IT. Gurney, jun., met with 

 this species at Cley, and about the same time many were 

 received by the local bird stuffers. 



Whilst speaking of the flight of the little grebe, I 

 will offer no apology for quoting still further from Mr. 

 Lubbock's note before-mentioned (p. 257). Writing in 

 1824, he remarks, "It has often been a source of per- 

 plexity to me to account for the immigration (as it may 

 surely be termed) of these little active aquatics. They 

 appear to possess the power of flight in a more limited 

 extent, therefore do not seem likely to shift their quarters 

 in any great degree, yet during the whole summer a most 

 accurate observer would be puzzled to produce an in- 

 stance of one remaining in their hibernal haunts. Having 

 myself generall}'- fished a good deal in the spring and 

 summer, and almost always being accompanied by a 

 water-dog, I have had every opportunity, but have never 

 seen one. Yet no sooner does the weather begin to be 

 severe than they are seen enlivening every stream ; 

 indeed, what renders this more remarkable is their 

 apparent preference to the smaller rivers. If they only 

 appeared on the larger pieces of water, we might suppose 

 that extensive reed-beds, etc., effectually concealed them 

 during summer from the prying eye of the ornithologist, 

 but on the smaller streams nothing can resist the search- 

 ing nose of the water-spaniel. What are we to think of 

 this appearance and disappearance ? I know not. If 

 accomplished by flight their power of wing must be far 

 greater than is generally supposed. I have more than 

 once taken this little bird with the hand in shallow drains 

 leading from the stream it frequents with us in winter ; 

 and on carrying it to some distance from the element 

 and giving it liberty, it could never achieve above sixty 

 or seventy yards, its flight then became a run, its toes 

 2k2 



