THE LAKE IN THE VALLEY 131 



calling his last evening notes, two birds 

 swam out into the centre of the lake. 

 The long V-shaped ripples first called 

 my attention to them. They were ad- 

 vancing from different directions, and 

 when about twenty yards separated them 

 I heard their loud and curious calls. 

 Kee-u-war, kee-u-war it sounded like, 

 and every time they uttered it I saw 

 their long necks raised, and the frills 

 around their necks were opened out, 

 and the crests on their heads were 

 raised. I knew the two Great-crested 

 Grebes were rivals, but each seemed 

 afraid or unwilling to attack, and there 

 they remained for a time, continually 

 giving out the loud calls and swimming 

 round each other. 



Before the red tinge had left the water, 

 a third Grebe swam out from the 

 reeds, and almost immediately the two 

 birds prepared for battle. They swam 

 towards each other, and their long necks 



