178 THE BIEDS OF OXFORDSHIEE. 



autumn later than the 1 8th November, and they have usually 

 departed before October is out. The return in s^^ring- depends 

 upon the state of the weather; in 1884 I observed a pair on 

 the 12th February, but in 1886 they were delayed by the 

 severe frost until the 28 th March, the ice having- broken up 

 only a week before. 



The time of nesting* consequently varies in different years ; 

 for instance, in the two years just named, young birds one- 

 third grown were on the water by the 1 9th June in the former, 

 while in the latter they were no further advanced nearly a 

 month later. In 1883 again, after severe weather in March, 

 the young were but newly hatched by the middle of July. 



The Crested Grebe is said to lay four eggs, but I have 

 never known more than three young in a brood on Clattercote, 

 sometimes only two ; neither has the Rev. H. Holbech seen 

 more than three there. 



On the 15th July, 1883, 1 watched an old Grebe, in a thin 

 bed of rushes, carrying her young on her back, some jiortion 

 of her wings (the secondaries or tertials probably) being 

 slig'htly raised, forming a sort of cradle. Four days later 

 both old birds had the young out on the open water, evidently 

 g-iving" them an early swimming lesson. When first noticed 

 the young birds were on the water between the old ones ; one 

 of the latter j)resently, sinking itself low in the water, came 

 up under them, and so took them on to its back, then sinking 

 again, moved away sideways, and left them floating" on the 

 surface ; this was repeated several times imtil, taking the 

 alarm, the old ones carried the brood off to the thick rushes. 



The guttural note of the adults, often uttered when they are 

 alarmed, is monosyllabic, and very difficult to describe; in 'Yar- 

 rell ' it is called a croak. The young have a loud, shrill 

 piping cry, which they utter constantly when follomng their 

 parents for food. The Grebes (especially the hen bird when 

 she comes off the nest) often indulge in an exhaustive wash, 

 dipping and shaking their heads beneath the surface of the 



