COLYMBID^. 65 



the parent bird often carries upon her back. I 

 have many a time laid by the river-side and watched 

 an old Swan lower herself in the water to enable 

 five or six young ones to climb upon her back, 

 and settle themselves comfortably among her warm 

 feathers. 



In the summer of 1867 a pair of these birds built 

 their nest upon the low river bank nearly opposite 

 the Windsor locks, and had laid half-a-dozen eggs, 

 when the Thames began to rise rapidly. The Swans, 

 probably fearing that their nest would be destroyed, 

 soon collected together a quantity of small boughs 

 and sticks, and were seen by a man standing on 

 the opposite shore to place these upon the nest but 

 under the eggs, raising the latter several inches. 

 The river eventually subsided, and thus by their 

 wonderful instinct these birds saved their nest from 

 destruction, and reared their young in safety. 



Fani ily — C O L Y MB I D^^. 



Great Crested Grebe [Podiceps cristattts). 

 This curious-looking bird has occasionally occurred 

 in both counties, and as it has been observed 

 during the whole year on some of the large re- 

 servoirs near Drayton Beauchamp, in Bucks, I feel 

 justified in including it in my Hst of 'Residents.* 



Mr. Morris records that in the year 1808, one was 

 taken near Hungerford, in the month of February ; 



F 



