WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 173 



one of the boatmen. He said that there were between 

 fifteen and twenty pairs of Crested Grebe on the lake, 

 but that owing to the rain they were all in the reeds 

 skulking, and about one hundred and fifty pairs of 

 Coots, as well as Moorhens, and a few Wild Duck 

 and Snipe. He further informed us that the Crested 

 Grebe never reared more than two young even out 

 of a clutch of four eggs ; but this, to be believed, 

 must be investigated. Having still a couple of hours 

 on hand, we got a narrow little boat, and, piloted by 

 our boatman, set out for some of the chosen haunts 

 of the Grebe. The first place was in rather an isolated 

 clump of reeds, and here we found a Coot's nest, an 

 old Grebe's nest, and the real article containing four 

 eggs. On our approach the old birds had dived, 

 leaving their eggs partially covered with water-lily 

 leaves. In this nest two eggs were partly visible. 

 They do not cover them half as effectively as the 

 Little Grebe or Dabchick, as it is commonly called. 

 Rowing across the lake, we speedily found another 

 nest with three eggs in a reed-bed just opposite 

 the church. These eggs were larger than those in 

 the first clutch — rather in bulk than in length — 

 and were more incubated, as could plainK' be seen 

 by their colour, a dirty brown ; for when newly 

 laid all Grebe's eggs are a sort of bluish white, 

 but soon become discoloured from all the parents' 

 feet and the general dirtiness of the nest. Indeed, it 

 is a marvel to me how the eggs ever hatch, for the 

 water literally oozes through the decaying mass of 

 reeds and suchlike matter which constitutes the 

 nest. 



