SECOND WEEK IN JUNE 123 
we had found the pochard’s nest (see Part I, 
p. II4) we were surprised to see a large 
nest close to the shore, standing out of the 
shallow water here, in which five eggs were 
plainly visible. And coming to the surface 
suddenly some fifty yards away, and diving 
again almost as quickly, was a handsome 
long and sharp-beaked bird, in size between 
a duck and a goose, and one that looked 
keenly alive to its surroundings, and was 
very quick in its movements, and a bird 
which once seen close could never be confused 
with any other British species. It was a 
ereat erested ierebe. I--had never. been -so 
near to one before, and the bird would have 
been half a mile or more away, long before 
this with us there, had it not been concerned 
about its nest. It kept diving and reappear- 
ing rapidly backwards and forwards all the 
time we were there, remaining under water 
about half a minute, and swimming under 
water quite fifty yards each time. There 
was no mistaking it to be the owner of the 
nest and the sitting female bird by her per- 
