66 Mr. Gordon Dalgliesh,


Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, and I cannot do

better than quote what I wrote to that journal.


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 — 110 doubt a pairing gesture. What I took to

be the female bird then scrambled up on a small islet and dis-

appeared among the reeds. A pair of Coots QFulica 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 away, 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

not stand upright, but dragged herself along on her belly. I did

not revisit the place until May 1st, and found the female 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 (two in number) in company with

their parents which were very attentive to them, feeding them on

small fish. On September nth I could only see one young one

with the old birds. On October 30th I only saw the young one,

the old ones had left.


The next year (1905) the Grebes returned to the 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 fiat on the water, flapping his

wings vigorously. I saw then the cause of his excitement, for

coming towards him was another Grebe also stretched along the



