BEHIND THE VEIL IN BIRDLAND 



her, and it was not until I stepped into my boat that she left 

 her eggs ! 



The young left their shells at night, for when I returned early 

 the next morning I saw only one egg and one young bird in the 

 nest, and the hen remained sitting for a time longer, but there 

 was no sign of the other two youngsters. The male was probably 

 looking after these in another part of the lake, and finding that 

 the one egg was addled, we destroyed it. It is the usual custom 

 of the male Great-Crested Grebe to take away one or two of the 

 first arrivals while the hen remains sitting, for the young seldom 

 all leave their shells at the same time, and sometimes the hen 

 will sit for three days after two young birds have left. These 

 young Grebes remain by their respective parents until almost 

 fully grown. 



26 



