124 BY THE: WATERSIDE ONCE, MORE 
pondweed with the terminal leaves intact, 
and a few dried sticks, thus much resem- 
bling in material and shape (but smaller in 
size) that of the swan (see Part I; p. 58). 
It was not unlike also that of the coot figured 
and described in Part II, p. 124, but it was 
not floating like that one, but was built on 
the bottom, the water being about six inches 
deep here. (Had the water risen this nest 
would certainly have been washed away, 
but the water was at its highest, and this the 
bird had calculated on doubtless.) Float- 
ing pondweed was the only material in these 
waters, besides dead sticks, available for the 
birds to build with, hence the similarity of 
these three nests. (The pochard, Part I, p. 
114, also used the same weed for her nest.) 
The summit of the nest was somewhat hol- 
lowed, and there was no special lining, and on 
this the five eggs were laid (like those on the 
nest of the coot, Part II, p. 125). They were 
about one anda half inches long and of a dark 
buff or cream tint, without any spots. The 
eround colour of these eggs is described as 
being of a pale blue, but they were covered 
