MATRIMONIAL DUETS 305 



which I took to be the female. When she jumped 

 up, they had to do the best they could, and once, 

 whilst the one was flung off, the other kept its 

 place like a good rider leaping a horse, and did so 

 all the while the weeds were being cleared away, in 

 spite of the mother's upright attitude — for, between 

 each jerk from side to side, she stood as straight as 

 a little penguin. I was unable to make out more 

 than two chicks. Though, mostly, on the parental 

 back, they sometimes swam for a little, and, once, I 

 saw the black little leg of one of them come out of 

 the water, and waggle in the air, in the way in which 

 the adult crested grebe is so fond of doing. When 

 the mother sat quite motionless in the water, with 

 her head thrown back, and her chicks upon her, she 

 looked exactly as when sitting on the nest, so that 

 one might have thought she was, and that it was 

 slightly submerged. The male, on these occasions, 

 would sometimes pay her a visit, and the chicks, 

 getting down, would swim up to him, and then 

 would come the little thin, pan-piping, joyous duet 

 between their two dams — a pretty, peaceful scene 

 this, whilst statesmen (save the mark !) are making 

 wars and devastating countries. 



"Clanging fights and flaming towns, and sinking ships and 

 praying hands." 



How much good might be done in the world, 

 could such people, all at once, when about to 

 be mischievous, be turned into dabchicks ! ^ Soon 

 after this the birds got away from the nest, leaving 

 the one egg in it unhatched, and my observations 

 came, in consequence, to an end. The one egg, 

 ^ " Translated," like Bottom— but more radically. 



