242 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



occasion ; from this nest one egg had been taken, but 

 the bird replaced it with another, and on a subsequent 

 visit I found the unfortunate fifth nestling trodden flat at 

 the bottom of the nest. Mr. F. Nor gate mentions in 

 some notes he was kind enough to send me on this bird, 

 several clutches of four eggs, two of five, and one of 

 six, but none of the three last were seen in situ by himself. 

 Mr. B>. W. Chase informs me that on one occasion on 

 Ormesby Broad he took a clutch of six eggs. The eggs 

 when fresh laid are white, but, as Mr. Stevenson and others 

 have remarked, soon become stained by contact with the 

 wet materials of the nest, small fragments of which often 

 adhere to their chalky surface. Both birds take part in 

 the business of incubation, and at this time they are rarely 

 seen on the wing, seeking safety by diving, and if not 

 molested are far from shy. 



Not long since, through the kindness of Mr. H. E. 

 Buxton, I watched from a path in his shrubbery, along 

 the margin of the lake at Fritton, a grebe seated on 

 her nest in a small clump of reeds not many yards from 

 the shore : she was quite aware of our presence, and 

 though watchful, was apparently not alarmed. While 

 we were looking at her the male bird approached with 

 a great croaking, and after some preliminary greetings 

 the female slid off the nest and he took her place. 



Mrs. Buxton witnessed a curious circumstance with 

 regard to this pair of birds. She had been watching the 

 grebe on the nest and was walking away when suddenly 

 she heard a loud noise which she compared to the 

 bleating of a sheep in distress ; she asked Mr. Buxton 

 who was close by to wait and see what it could mean, 

 when suddenly there was a splash and loud cries which 

 the grebe on the nest answered and then left the nest, 

 disappearing in the reeds. A great deal more noise 

 followed, and soon, emerging from the reeds they saw 

 two grebes fighting desperately, "rolling one over the 

 other like balls, each having hold of the other's neck ; 

 they went on," says Mrs. Buxton, " fighting till we again 

 lost sight of them, then the noise grew less and less till 

 after a time we saw a grebe swimming off to another 

 part of the lake and the other two were left in quiet 

 possession of the bay in which their nest was placed. I 



