128 BY THE WATERSIDE ONCE MORE 
(9-10 in. long), is the little grebe, or dabchick. 
It is also resident in this country, widely 
diffused, but local in its habitat, going to the 
coast in severe winters. It builds generally in 
quiet waters, a floating nest of the stems and 
leaves of water plants, which is hard to find, 
as the bird always covers it over on leaving, 
although the spot in whichit is built is not in 
great concealment. It is rarely, however, 
that you can get at the nest without a boat. 
Three to six eggs are laid at the end of April 
or beginning of May. They are white and 
rough. A second nest is generally built each 
year. There are very few of these birds near 
London. 
After landing we saw a pair of yellow wag- 
tails busy flitting to and fro over a sloping 
bank of tall grass. Their long tails, louping 
flight, and the two long white outer tail 
feathers were their distinctive features as 
wagtails, whilst their general colour distin- 
euished them from other wagtails. There 
was evidently a nest with young there. A few 
moments’ search and we found it. It con- 
