70 Bolam: The Natural History of Hornsea Mere. 
Heslop’s reeds were built not more than two inches above the | 
water at its low level, and they were, moreover, from their - 
situation on the northern margin of the reed-beds, subjected 
to almost the full force of the ‘ lipper’ raised by the storm ; 
but they rose with the water, and on the 23rd both the empty 
(hatched) nest, and that containing eggs, were found to be still 
above the flood. Upon the one containing eggs the Grebe was 
seen calmly ‘riding the storm,’ with considerable wavelets 
breaking against her, and she weathered it in safety, though 
a coot’s nest within a few yards of her—more sheltered than 
she was, which originally stood about a foot higher than her 
humble home—was completely washed out and destroyed, 
along with many others elsewhere, and a like fate overtook 
even a Swan’s nest ten or fifteen yards further back in 
the reeds, and therefore much less exposed to the storm, 
and about a like distance from the sitting Grebe. I took the 
boat in to make sure of the facts, and found the grebe’s eggs 
almost awash with every wave, the nest barely half an inch 
clear of the water, and at the same time I picked up floating 
eggs of coots and swan close to it. 
Similar observations were made upon the Heronry Wood 
nest later, it also rising with the water, and being saved, 
while other nests perished round it, though they were there 
not so much exposed to the gale as those on the south bank 
of the Mere. From experiments I made, I believe the Grebes 
may themselves assist materially in the floating of their nests, 
by mechanical means, when occasion arises. 
Dascuicx.—There has usually been a nest or so on the 
Mere every year, but this season there was certainly none. 
Mr. Wade saw a single bird when he was taking me round the 
Mere on 2ist April, and I heard one calling the same afternoon, 
but no more were either seen or heard during my stay. 
On 23rd May Mr. Holmes reported that a small Gull had 
been about his place during the storm of the previous day. 
He described it as being ‘ pure white, without any black on 
head,’ and it was smaller, he thought, than the Common Tern 
that had lately been frequenting the neighbourhood of his 
boat-house. It had disappeared before I heard of it, however, 
and was not seen again. 
About the beginning of June some of the workmen at 
Wassand tried to describe to me ‘a very bright-coloured bird ’ 
which had settled for a minute or two on the pathway in the 
yard quite near the blacksmith’s shop and which had been 
seen from the windows. It was said to have been very gay 
in colour—red, green, and blue—and a little larger than a 
Kingfisher, but I could make nothing of it. 
On 30th May I saw two ducks together, along with some 
Naturalist, 
