100 BIBDS IN LONDON 



over the eggs ; the nest in appearance is then 

 nothing but a bunch of dead vegetable rubbish 

 floating in the water. When the young are out 

 of the eggs, the parent birds are accustomed to 

 take them under their wings, just as a man 

 might take a parcel under his arm, and dive into 

 the water. 



Another curious habit of the dabchick was 

 discovered during the summer of 1896 in Clissold 

 Park, when, for the second time, a pair of these 

 birds settled in the too small piece of water at that 

 place. Unfortunately, their nest was attacked 

 and repeatedly destroyed by the moorhens, who 

 took a dislike to these ' new chums,' and by 

 the swans, who probably found that the wet 

 materials used by the little grebe in building its 

 nest were good to eat; Now, it was observed that 

 when the nest was made on deep water, where the 

 swans could swim up to it, the dabchicks defended 

 it by diving and pecking at, or biting, the webbed 

 feet of the assailants under water. It was a 

 curious duel between a pigmy and a giant — one 

 a stately man-of-war floating on the water, the 

 other a small submerged torpedo, very active 

 and intelligent. The swans were greatly dis- 

 concerted and repeatedly driven off by means of 



