nest is usually placed among the dead reeds of last year's growth, and consists 

 of a large floating mass of decaying reeds and water-plants anchored to the 

 growing reeds. In the Broads all the nests I have visited have been among 

 the clumps of fresh bulrushes well inside the edge of the reed-bed, and quite 

 invisible from outside. As regards the covering of the eggs, I have noticed 

 that eggs which are at all incubated are invariably covered up ; fresh ones 

 are as often uncovered as covered ; and there is no doubt that the 

 fermentation of the decaying vegetable matter materially assists incubation 

 by keeping up the temperature. 



The eggs laid vary in number from two to four, five being occasionally 

 found, though three is a common clutch. When viewed against the light the 

 inside of the egg is quite green, but the surface of the shell is covered by 

 an irregular coating of a white, chalky nature; when first laid they are very 

 nearly white, but soon acquire a rufous tint from the birds' feet and the 

 continual contact with the decaying weeds. They vary in length from 2*4 

 to 2 - o inches, and in breadth from 1-55 to 135 inches, and there is usually 

 very little difference in the shape of the two ends. 



Young in down are very curiously marked : the upper parts are brown, 

 while the head, neck, and under parts are dull white ; the breast and back are 

 striped longitudinally with black, and there is a greyish patch on each side 

 of the head. The bill has two black stripes across it. 



Young in down can swim and dive with ease within an hour of being 

 hatched. The parents evince great anxiety if an intruder approaches too near, 

 and will take the young birds under their wings and dive with them to a 

 place of safety. On Hickling Broad in Norfolk I saw two broods of young 

 Great Crested Grebes, and spent some interesting half-hours watching them 

 as I lay in my boat ; they fed outside the fringe of reeds, and on the slightest 

 suspicion of danger both old and young birds would dive at once and come up 

 inside the reed-bed quite out of sight. 



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