150 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xra 



ment was exactly followed by its companion, for lo or 15 

 yards thej' would swim togsthei like this, thtir be dies almost 

 touching, then both dived simultaneously. After a Icng 

 performance like this, both birds went thiough a lengthy 

 toilet, washing themselves and preening their feathers. 

 They ducked their heads, throwing water over their backs, 

 laid their necks fiat on the water, and swimming rapidly in 

 this position, made a splashing by rapidly reversing, and 

 beating the water with their wings. 



From May 26th to the 29th, these performances were 

 repeated several times daily, although they both entered 

 the reeds at various points and remained in a short time, 

 bat they seemed determined not to give away the spot 

 chosen for their new home. On the 30th, only the male 

 was to be seen during the morning, and I watched him enter 

 the reeds twice in the southern corner of the reservoir, the 

 place where I imagined they would build the second nest, 

 as the reeds there were the most dense, and most difficult 

 to search on the whole lake. For three days I waded this 

 part, traversing almost every yard, and also searched with 

 a boat, and in the evening of June 2nd I found a Grebe's 

 nest containing two eggs, and as both Black-necked Grebes 

 were in a very excited condition on the margin of. the 

 reeds I felt sure that this was their second nest. On 

 June 6th, I placed my hide, which was built at the end 

 of a punt, just at the entrance to the reeds opposite the 

 nest, moving it a little nearer each evening, until on the 

 loth it was in position. On the 12th, I entered the hide 

 at 10 a.m. with my cameras, and a good stock of film and 

 plates, and told the keeper to call for me not before 6 p.m. 

 We cut a small lane in the reeds from the nest to my hide 

 so that I could have a clear view for my cameras, and then 

 I settled down for the day, expecting to secure a good set 

 of photographs. The keeper had only been gone about a 

 quarter of an hour when I saw a movement in the thick 

 reeds. Suddenly there was a splash in front of the rest, 

 and up came my bird as I thought, it turned its head and 

 it waD a Dabchick ! I will not attempt to repeat what 



