AMONG THE WATER-FOWL 



As I slowly waded along, I could hear a constant 

 succession of splashing, plunging sounds, as the 

 birds dove from their nests to swim off under water. 

 When I stood still for a few moments, they would 

 return and suddenly emerge, sometimes within a 

 yard of me, only to plunge again the instant they 

 caught sight of the intruder. 



These grebe-homes, especially of the larger 

 species, were quite substantial affairs. Even the 

 little " Eared " fellows made better nests than in 

 the other city where they were so huddled together. 

 Possibly they were trying not to be outdone by the 

 " Westerners," or else the latter, who were in the 

 majority, had enacted certain building regulations 

 within the city limits ! Yet, though the homes 

 were larger, it was evident that they belonged to 

 the lower classes of bird society. This city, like 

 the other, was shamefully dirty. Eggs and even 

 dead birds lay rotting in the water between the 

 nests. The odour was so unpleasant as almost to 

 nauseate our guide, who afterwards ventured in 

 with me. As for myself, I was so much taken up 

 with the novelty of the situation that the " mind- 

 cure " effectually performed its work. 



How far the city extended, and what was its 

 population, I made no great effort to ascertain, as 

 even a moderate degree of progress was very dif- 

 ficult. Wherever I went there were nests, acres 

 and acres of them. In parts of the town the larger 

 species dwelt alone; in others the nests of the two 

 kinds were intermingled in about equal numbers. 

 Three eggs was the usual complement in the nests 

 of both species, often four, but more than that I did 



18 



