Notes on the Birds of a Ballast Pit. 334 
When tite female was only a few yards distant she dived and 
came up almost underneath her mate. ‘The two then faced each 
other and went through most curious antics, bowing to one 
another and snapping and sparring at each other with their bills. 
They were too far off for me to hear whether they uttered any 
note during these performances. They did not appear to be 
fighting but rather caressing or “dancing” with each other. 
During the performance the crests and ruffs seemed to be extended 
to their fullest. Suddenly both birds dived and came up almost 
immediately close together. hen followed a most curious 
ceremony. Both had fished up a rather large piece of ribbon-like 
_ weed, and holding these in their beaks they faced each other and 
stood upright in the water showing nearly all their silvery breasts 
and looking almost like two snakes. When facing each other 
holding the weed, their bills almost touched, and they began to 
move their heads and consequently the weed also, from side to 
side in a most curious manner. After a bit, they dived, and 
chased each other about for a little while, and then began to 
wash most vigorously ruffling their wings in the water and 
throwing it over their backs after the manner ofa duck. This 
“was accompanied with much splashing which I could hear 
distinctly though they were some way off.” 
I have never noticed this species on the Ballast Pit later than 
the middle of October, so it would appear that they leave the 
locality during the Winter. 
A pair or two of Little Grebes or Dabchicks come to the lake 
about the middle of March and stay all the spring and summer. 
They undoubtedly nest somewhere among the reeds and water 
plants, though I have no absolute proof of this. ‘They leave I 
think in October, not to return till the following Spring. 
Gulls frequently visit the water on their migrations, but it is 
unusual to see them in largenumbers. ‘lhe commonest species to 
put in an appearance is the Black-headed Gull of which there : 
were 40 on the water on November 23rd, 1903. When we bear 
in mind that there are at least three large nesting colonies of this 
Species in the north of the County, it is not surprising to find 
