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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



No. I— BREEDING- HABITS OF THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE 



(PODICIPES CRIST ATUS). 

 Being one of the handsomest as well as the most interesting, perhaps, of all 

 water fowl, a few notes concerning the breeding habits of this bird may prove 

 acceptable to some readers of this journal. During the years 1 904-05 I had 

 exceptionally good opportunities of watching a pair of these birds nesting, and 

 the following notes were made on the spot. The birds were first seen on April 

 17th (1904) and almost at once commenced nesting. On the morning of the 

 19th I again visited the place and found the two birds swimming apart from 

 each other. After a short time they met and began to spar with their bills— no 

 doubt a pairing gesture. What I took to be the female bird then scrambled up 

 on a small islet and disappeared among the reeds. A pair of coots (Fulica atra) 

 were nesting on the same place and tried to drive what I took to be the male 

 bird away. Once they were successful, but after a time the grebe became 

 master of the situation and drove the coots away. The way he drove off one 

 coot was distinctly ingenious. Diving some little distance apart, he suddenly 

 came right up under the coot and fairly " torpedoed " the coot out of the water. 

 The male bird then rested on the water near the islet, drying and preening its 

 feathers. When it wished to clean its breast, it would turn right over on its 

 back, with one leg sticking up in the air. 



The female bird when she landed on the islet did noi stand upright, but 

 dragged herself along on her belly. I did not revisit the place again until May 

 1st, and found the female bird sitting close. The male was swimming near at 

 hand and again drove some coots away that came too near the nest. On 

 September 2nd I saw the young birds in company with the parents (two in 

 number) which were very attentive to them and feeding them with small 

 fish. On September 11th I could only see one young one with the old birds. 

 On October 30th I saw only the young one, the old ones had left. This year 

 (1905) the grebes returned to the same place on February 25th, At first I only 

 caught sight of one bird which was in full breeding plumage. On looking 

 through my field glasses I saw it treading water, splashing with its wings, and 

 spinning round and round like a teetotum with crest raised to its full extent. 

 Presently with neck stretched in front of him (I say " him " for this was the 

 one I took to be the male) he uttered a hoarse croak, and lay flat on the 

 water, flapping his wings vigorously. I saw then the cause of this 

 excitement, for coming towards him was another grebe also stretched along 

 the water in the same strange position as the first. The two met breast 

 to breast and chattered together and sparred with their bills. This 

 second bird was not like the first and still retained the winter plumage 

 and was probably an immitare female. The two then swam in company 

 with each other and visited the nesting place of last year. This was, 

 however, covered with water, with the exception of a few stumps of wood and 

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