COURTSHIP OF THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 537 
At the beginning of a bout the attitude often seems to express an 
extra degree of excitement, but especially so after a “flirtation”; 
the ruff is a little more circular, the ears pressed forward to their 
limit, and the neck curved over a little at the top, so that the 
heads and beaks are pointing somewhat downwards; this attitude 
never lasts long, and soon subsides into the ordinary one, in 
which the birds give somewhat the alert impression of a couple 
of smooth-haired Fox-terriers. Asa general rule, habit-preening 
does not begin until after a few shakes, and usually gets a little 
more frequent as the bout goes on. 
Usually, the bout is closed by the two birds simply drifting 
slowly apart, and gradually lowering their crests, or else one or 
both of them may turn sharp up into the wind with a more 
sudden closure of the crest. 
In the longest bout seen the pair gave 84 shakes, while in the 
shortest seen (which is also the shortest possible) each bird only 
gave a single shake. 
Often there are somewhat abortive bouts, without enthusiasm 
on the part of either bird; these do not last long, never for more 
than seven or eight shakes, and the crests and necks are often 
not erected to their proper position. There are degrees of excite- 
ment. In the lowest the neck is in the graceful curve of the 
ordinary swimming position, the ruff is relaxed, and the ears are 
searcely half-raised. In the next stage, the ears are fully raised : 
then, the ruffs are slightly expanded as well: then, the neck is 
raised more and more: and finally both ruff and neck come to 
their typical extension. 
A certain frame of mind is necessary for shaking, and some- 
times even the expressed desire of the other bird to shake cannot 
arouse this state (see p. 544); for still further details the reader 
is referred to section 10. 
(ii.) Nest building. 
There is one curious habit connected with nest-building about 
the significance of which I am not at all sure: this is the tram- 
pling down of the nest. Lying in a punt in the reeds I have 
heard this trampling, first on one side, then on the other— 
squelch, squelch, squelch,—sounds of some creature trampling 
heavily with alternate feet on something sodden. 
This is the water-birds treading down their nests. The Grebe 
does it, and, I believe, the Coot, and possibly other birds as well. 
The one occasion where I saw it well is worth recording, partly 
on this account and partly for another reason, as will shortly be 
seen. A pair had been fishing and resting; the cock then stayed 
perfectly still, not very far from the nest, for some minutes, and 
the hen went off and fished. The cock moved slowly towards 
the nest, and was there joined by the hen; after a short time 
the hen got on to the nest, there, in the usual ungainly upright 
position, stamped heavily twelve or fourteen times on the sodden 
weeds, and then settled down into a sitting position She 
