88 BIRD WATCHING 



more quickly, if that were possible — so quickly that 

 there is just a swirl on the water, the appearance 

 seems part of the disappearance, ' and nothing is but 

 what is not.' And this, as I think, continues, but 

 owing to the rapid progress of the birds under 

 the water, and their getting amongst flags and 

 weeds, I never have an equally ' convincing ' sight 

 of it." 



Now, here, on the 4th February, we have, as in 

 the case of the peewits, three birds together, all in 

 pursuit of each other, but two, as it appeared to me, 

 in a little more intimate association, and the third 

 seeming to wish to make a third. They chase each 

 other excitedly down the stream for a little, then all 

 pitch down upon it and dive, and one, upon coming 

 up, dives again at the merest sight of another who 

 behaves similarly, a peculiarly set and rigid attitude 

 being adopted by the waiting bird. Is this not some- 

 thing like a little romp or water-dance following on 

 the excitement of the chase ? True, it may have been 

 fighting between the two males, for dabchicks, like 

 the great crested grebe and other water-birds, prob- 

 ably fight by diving and attacking each other beneath 

 the surface. To my eyes, however, it had very much 

 the appearance of a romp, or, at anyrate, a something 

 betwixt sport and earnest. Assuming it to have 

 been so, then here is a habit of a sport or antic be- 

 tween three birds at the end of an excited chase of 

 each other. Now supposing this habit to increase, 

 then, as the birds became more enamoured of their 

 little sport — as it became more and more a fixed 

 habit with them — is it not likely that the preliminary 

 chase before the romp began would be thrown more 



