WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



birds swam out of this harbour when I came, but the little 

 ones crept close up to the railing, uttering a feeble squeak 

 like a young chicken. H uddled up in a group, they certainly 

 were the smallest and quaintest-looking little divers that I 

 ever saw. I have heard it argued that it was impossible that 

 eggs could be hatched in a situation constantly exposed to 

 so much wet and damp, but those of this kind of grebe are 

 certainly an exception, as they were continually wet below, 

 and frequently coveredwith wet green weed. I do not know 

 why the bird should always bring the covering from below 

 the water, but she invariably did so, and the pool being in 

 a convenient place for my watching them closely, I took 

 some trouble to be sure that my observations were correct. 

 ! t is a pretty, amusing little bird, and quite harmless : I have 

 alwaysmuch pleasure inwatching their livelyactions in the 

 water. Where undisturbed, theysoon become bold andcon- 

 fident. These little fellows used to swim close to me, and 

 after looking up in my face with an arch cock of their tiny 

 head, turn up their round sterns and dip under the water. 

 They often remained so long under water, that the circles 

 made in the calm pool from their last dive were quite oblit- 

 erated from the surface before the saucy-looking little fel- 

 lows would rise again, often in exactly the same spot, when 

 they would look at me again, as if to be sure of who I was; 

 then, turninghalf over in thewater,theywouldscratch their 

 neck with their curiously formed foot, shake their apology 

 of a wing, and dip under again. 



One day my dog jumped into the water for a swim, and 

 the motions of the birds were then very different. They div- 

 ed rapidly to the other end of the pool, where they rose, 



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