262 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



were more to be dreaded below the surface than any 

 enemy above it.* Doubtless vast numbers of the young 

 gulls also are annually entombed in the greedy maws of 

 the pike. I fear the bulk of the wild fowl bred on the 

 Wretham meres meet a similar fate, and in some waters 

 it is even doubtful whether any escape. As a contrast to 

 the behaviour of the Scoulton grebes, I may quote from 

 my note-book the following experience in another locality 

 where no pike are. " Their powers of hiding are truly 

 wonderful. I cautiously approached a little pond on 

 Wretham Heath, and, in concealment, watched several 

 couples of little grebes popping up and down in ceaseless 

 motion ; no sooner did I show myself than down they all 

 went, and not a vestige of a grebe was to be seen so long 

 as I stayed. The pond is, or was . then (for it varies 

 according as the season is wet or dry), barely larger than 

 a good -sized horse -pond, the turf sloping down to 

 the water's edge, with no hollow banks and one little 

 clump of rushes only, and yet the birds completely con- 

 cealed themselves, and remained hidden till I was tired 

 of waiting for their re-appearance." 



I have had very few opportunities of watching the 

 little grebe when accompanied by its young, but in Mr. 

 Stevenson's journal for 12th July, 1873, occurs the follow- 

 ing interesting passage ; the event took place on Surling- 

 ham Broad : " Saw an old dabchick and one young one ; 

 the old bird caught a small eel for it, but the chick kept 

 dropping it again and again, and the mother seized it 

 as often and gave it to the young one. They were some- 

 times not more than fifty yards off us." Mr. Cremer also 

 told Mr. Stevenson that at Salthouse he used to find 

 numbers of little grebes in summer, and had shot them 

 with their young under their wings, a mode of protecting 

 their offspring which appears frequently to be resorted to 

 both by this and other species of grebe. The many 

 instances recorded of this bird having been found choked 

 by attempting to swallow miller's thumbs (Coitus gobio) 



* A correspondent in " Land and Water " (June 22nd, 1889) 

 states that he saw a 4 Ib. pike swallow three young moorhens in 

 succession. It may readily be imagined what mischief would be 

 effected by 18 Ib. monsters, 



