XCII. 

 PODICEPS MINOR, (lath. 



Little Grebe, Dabchick. 



The nest of the Little Grebe is placed by the side of lakes, 

 ponds, and rivers. It is at times constructed of a large quan- 

 tity of reeds, flags, and rushes, and the drier species of water 

 plants ; at other times, as in a nest kindly sent me by my 

 friend Edward Kerrich, Esq. it is chiefly composed of mosses, 

 and the soft green water weeds, mixed with an earthy sub- 

 stance, and thus imparting a colouring to the eggs immedi- 

 ately on their being deposited. The nest had become hard 

 and dry, and would break into small fragments. Mr. Salmon 

 has seen several composed of small pieces of green rushes, 

 each piece about three or four inches long, and piled together 

 to the height of about a foot above the surface of the water. 

 The floating nests, mentioned by authors, if they have ever 

 existed, must have become so, not by any design of the bird, 

 but from the accidental drifting of their foundation from its 

 moorings, occasioned by an unusual rise of the waters. None 

 of the several nests examined by Mr. Salmon contained more 

 than four eggs, although Montague says that they lay five or 

 six. Over these a portion of the materials of the nest is 

 carefully covered on the departure of the bird, to conceal them 

 from observation; and, notwithstanding this precaution, Mon- 

 tague tells us that they are frequently destroyed by the Water 

 Rat. The time of breeding of the Little Grebe is later than 

 that of the Great Crested being about the middle of May. — 

 Fig. I. 



