20 DABCHICK'S JSEST AND EGGS. 



rather longer : when only two or three, they are white and 

 uncovered, but when more, they are carefully concealed,* 

 principally with the flowers of the common reed ; and this 

 is not to be done at a moment's notice, when you drive the 

 bird from her nest; there are no reeds near enough for 



* The fact of the dabchick covering its eggs has been confirmed by many 

 excellent observers since the preceding paragraph was published ; and several 

 interesting particulars have been detailed in the ' Zoologist,' both as regards 

 the covering and the colour of the eggs. " Their nests " says Mr. Parsons "are 

 placed in the thick water-plants or reeds growing upon the sides of the marshy 

 waters, and consist of a large quantity of material flags, reeds, or any aquatic- 

 plants, sometimes of rushes broken into short pieces, and built upon a solid 

 foundation from the bottom, to six inches or a foot above the surface, subject 

 to variation from the rising or wasting of the water. Upon the top of this fa- 

 bric are deposited from four to six eggs, perfectly white when first laid, but 

 soon stained by being in contact with the moist plants, so that they may fre- 

 quently be seen of a dark brown. When the complement of eggs is nearly com- 

 pleted, they are carefully covered over, but the birds are not so particular at 

 first, as I have often seen nests with one or two eggs left uncovered ; afterwards, 

 and during the time of incubation, they are concealed by a larger covering, not, 

 as Professor Rennie tells us, of dry hay, which is often a scarce commodity in 

 the dabchicks' haunts, but with the water-plants or rushes growing hard by, and 

 one plant, the water crowfoot, appears to be a favourite with them for this pur- 

 pose." Mr. Parsons goes on to observe, that from the quantity of " this cover- 

 ing, it is obvious that it is not hastily placed on when quitting the nest : " it 

 must be a work of time and labour, and when once accomplished " the cover- 

 ing is allowed to remain, the bird performing her duties of incubation upon the 

 top of it," a situation Mr. Parsons has sometimes surprised her in, when she 

 has suddenly plunged into the water, leaving " both the eggs and covering quite 

 warm." The reader is referred to this account at page 365 of the 'Zoologist,' 

 to others by the Rev. Mr. Atkinson, at pages 499 and 767, and to a fourth by 

 the Rev. Mr. Bury, at page 863. These admirable papers are of the highest 

 possible interest, and together contain an excellent history of this amusing bird. 

 From the mass of evidence on the subject, it may be gathered that the eggs of 

 the dabchick are rarely covered until three at least have been deposited : that 

 the total number is five or six : that they are always in contact with the water : 

 that during incubation they are always covered, the parent bird sitting on the 

 covering : and finally, that this incubation among wet and decaying weeds is a 

 highly probable cause for that strange discolouring for which the dabchick's 

 eggs have always been remarkable. 



