PLATE I 

 LITTLE GREBE. Podicipes fluviatilis 



May 29/7*, 1895. This Plate is from a photograph of a nest on a small 

 loch near Doune, Perthshire. It was built in a shallow bay on the submerged 

 branches of a willow growing in the shallow water, and contained four fresh eggs. 

 The bird was on it when I first saw it, but she hastily covered her eggs 

 with some of the fresh green weeds lying on the nest, and dived quietly 

 away, and though I stood within a few yards of the nest, I couldn't make 

 out where she came up. 



I lay down among the long grass about twenty yards off and watched 

 for her return ; she did not keep me long waiting, for she was back again in 

 about three minutes ; she had evidently dived some way off, as she rose almost 

 beside the nest. For a second or two she sat motionless on the water, and 

 then got into the nest, removing the weeds from the eggs, which she carefully 

 turned one at a time before settling herself on the nest again. In about a quarter 

 of an hour her mate arrived with some food for her, which, however, she refused, 

 so he ate it himself and then proceeded to dive for small pieces of green weed, 

 which he tore to pieces on the surface, giving each little piece a good shake 

 before leaving it. 



Presently the female got off the nest, leaving her eggs uncovered, and 

 swam away among the reeds with her mate. I gave them two or three 

 minutes to get away a bit, and then waded in and got a photograph of the 

 nest. I had just got finished, and was putting away my camera on the shore, 

 when I saw the Little Grebe coming back full speed ; she dived some little 

 distance from the nest, and, coming up beside it, hastily covered up the eggs, 

 and left the nest, and I did not see either of the birds again, though I hung 

 about for half an hour. 



I came back next morning and found the eggs were uncovered, but the 

 Little Grebe quickly appeared at the nest and pulled some weed over them, 

 though I was standing in the open within ten yards of the nest, which looks 

 as if the Little Grebe only covers her eggs as a means of concealment, and not 

 really for the sake of keeping them warm. 



95 



