200 FIEST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



disturb her, save that she faced them until 

 they left. At 11.2 I exposed a plate, and as I 

 was changing plates the male arrived at the 

 nest and the birds changed places. I thus 

 lost my only opportunity of getting both birds 

 at the nest ; but I was interested to note beyond 

 doubt that both parents take part in the 

 incubation. 



As far as restlessness is concerned both male and 

 female are very active ; they keep constant 

 observation on all points of the compass, moving 

 their heads in a series of jerks. They also move 

 their tails (such as they are) and wings a good 

 deal, but do not fidget their feet so much. 

 At 11.20 W.P.C. and L.M.C. approached (as 

 previously arranged, to give me a chance or 

 two at the birds near the nest, since an 

 undisturbed sitter rapidly exhausts possible 

 attitudes for pictures). The male covered the 

 eggs and dived off with the chick under his 

 wing. A few minutes after W.P.C. and L.M.C. 

 left, the female came to the mouth of the gully 

 with the male, and the latter came back up 

 the gully to the nest, and stopped a few yards 

 short of it in the weeds where the nestling was 

 floating. At 12 noon he was still alongside, 

 and the nestling vainly tried to get on his back. 

 The babe swam into the thicker weed, the 

 male keeping beside it, but making no effort to 

 get it up, and seemingly most anxious and 

 perturbed about it. In a few moments the 

 babe lay out motionless and exhausted, and 

 at 12.10 the male stood out and dived off to the 

 pond, having given the babe up apparently. 

 When the male got out into the pond he called 

 the female, which is the smaller bird of the two, 

 and they both came a little way into the 



